Paras 2 Teach

From Paraprofessional to Certified Teacher

You have spent months, maybe years, supporting a classroom as a paraprofessional. You already know the work. Paras 2 Teach is the path to leading a classroom of your own.

Built for Polk County Public Schools paraprofessionals, this program helps you complete a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Florida Southern College and earn your Florida teaching certification, all while you keep working. Once you qualify for a temporary teaching certificate, you move into your own classroom as the teacher of record, which means you finish your degree while drawing a full teacher's salary and completing your internship in the very classroom you are paid to lead.

It is a genuine earn-while-you-learn path into the teaching profession, designed around the schedule of someone already working full-time at a school. Classes run in accelerated 7-week terms, online and in the evenings, so your coursework fits around your workday rather than competing with it.

Why Paras 2 Teach

Support at Every Step

You will not navigate this alone. Paras 2 Teach is a partnership between Polk County Public Schools and the Florida Southern College School of Education, and support is built into the program.

Instructional support from educational professionals at both PCPS and the FSC School of Education, so guidance comes from people who know both your classroom and your coursework.

FTCE support to help you prepare for and pass the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations, the tests that stand between you and certification.

A hybrid schedule of 7-week terms offered online and in the evening, built to align with a full-time work schedule.

An accelerated master's option, with the opportunity to enroll in the 4+1 Master of Arts in Teaching in Transformational Curriculum and Instruction while you complete your bachelor's, so you can keep building toward an advanced credential and higher pay.

Are You Eligible?

Paras 2 Teach is open to Polk County Public Schools paraprofessionals who meet these requirements:

• Employed for at least six months as a paraprofessional within Polk County Public Schools
• A minimum of 60 college credit hours earned
• A minimum 3.0 GPA across all college coursework

If that describes you, you are ready to start an application.

How to Apply

Because this is a teacher preparation program, the application process is more involved than a standard admissions process. You will submit:

• Official transcripts from all colleges, universities, or professional schools you have attended
• A personal interview
• An academic interest inventory
• Polk County Public Schools background clearance
• A letter of recommendation from an administrator
• A letter of recommendation from a teacher
• A 15 to 20-minute teaching video demonstrating your instructional and classroom management strategies

If you have earned fewer than 25 credit hours from a regionally accredited institution, you will also provide a high school transcript or GED scores and either ACT/SAT scores or an updated resume. Up to seven semester hours of transfer credit may be awarded for military service-connected educational experience.

After You Are Accepted

Once admitted, three steps move you into your own classroom:

1. Earn a passing score on your Subject Area Exam.
2. Obtain a Temporary Teacher Internship Certification from the Florida Department of Education
3. Enroll in Florida Southern College's Adult Elementary Education program.