Page 95 - Superintendent Annual Report 2023-24

Palm Beach Future Educators Scholarship
In FY24, the District offered four Palm Beach Future Educators (PBFE) Scholarships to non-
instructional employees, temporary employees, and high school seniors. These recipients signed
agreements to return to Palm Beach County to teach upon graduation.

Paid Student Internships
Instead of taking a leave for a semester and not getting paid to complete their student teaching internship, regular employees
may apply for the Teach Student Intern position. This position allows employees to keep their current salary and maintain
benefits for the semester. Schools may hire an interim employee to cover the intern's position while they complete their
student teaching. Employees are afforded this opportunity with the expectation that they will teach in a District school
upon graduation. Three employees are applying for these positions for FY25.

School-based Summer Internships
Internships provided current high school juniors and seniors and recent District graduates attending undergraduate
programs at a college or university with the opportunity to gain valuable experience working alongside an elementary
teacher and gaining hands-on classroom experience. This involved assisting with daily routines and procedures, setting up
and organizing the classroom, and supporting students’ academic needs. In FY23, there were 26 school-based interns in
summer programs. In FY24, the number of summer interns grew to 38.

Pathways to Teaching Program
The Pathways to Teaching Program is a collaborative initiative between the School District of
Palm Beach County and Nova Southeastern University designed to support non-instructional
and temporary District employees who aspire to pursue a traditional bachelor's degree in
elementary education. Currently, 22 employees qualify for the program.

Palm Beach Associate Teacher Program
The District partnered with BloomBoard to offer an Associate Teacher
Program to aspiring certified full-time teachers to a pilot cohort of 25 eligible
non-instructional and temporary employees for FY25. This portfolio-based
on-the-job program enabled participants with an associate’s degree to
complete the credit hours necessary to earn a fully accredited bachelor’s
degree from Lake Erie College and their official teaching certification in
elementary education or exceptional student education.

Non-instructional Recruitment
In FY24, the Department of Recruitment and Retention actively recruited non-instructional applicants to fill various trade
positions, including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and other industry-specific trades. Maintenance and Plant Operations,
Transportation, School Food Service, and School Police joined forces to hold monthly job fairs at the District office.

Additionally, weekend job fairs at community centers throughout the county provided opportunities to expand the reach.
Specific recruitment efforts focused on the graduates from the academies at West Technical Education Center and with
qualified candidates from the community. These efforts connected job seekers with employment opportunities and built
meaningful interactions between potential candidates and the District. The team also used social media and targeted
marketing campaigns to promote vacancies and share salary and incentive programs supported by the District.

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