“I am in decent shape financially compared to many, or even most, of my younger classmates. I’m not eating lobster every night by any stretch, but I’m not on a daily diet of ramen noodles, either,” Sara Saulcy, a post-baccalaureate student in Secondary Social Studies and History Education, said.
Education majors and future student teachers, required to undergo a 16-week residency to graduate and earn licensure, worry that expenses will add up without financial compensation for their work.
“I have been telling people that I will be basically a full-time teacher, however I must pay the university for the experience,” Emma Fortunato, a senior majoring in Secondary Education and Social Studies, said. “So, not only do I not have the time to work a job and make money, but I am also losing thousands of dollars to pay for the opportunity.”
While student teachers at UW collaborate with mentor teachers throughout their residency, the long hours and eventual assumption of teaching responsibility can prove draining and overwhelming.
“Students do not receive financial compensation during this time,” Elizabeth McMahan, the UW Director of Student Teaching, said.
McMahan wanted to urge that this system is not unique to the University of Wyoming.
“This is not a Wyoming only issue, this is the model for all education programs around the country,” McMahan said. “However, UW has started and is committed to supporting our student teachers during their residency.”
In Aug. of 2021, the Oklahoma State Department of Education issued an initiative to recompense students who work as student teachers with federal funds.
While UW already offers various scholarships directed at student teachers, Fortunato and Saulcy believe administration can do more.
“I think that the UW administration could better support student teachers by providing a living expenses stipend that could be used towards rent or grocery money,” Fortunato said. “I understand that we must pay for the experience through tuition because it is technically a requirement for our degree, but a stipend for living expenses would be incredibly useful.”
As Education majors roll into the inevitably hectic Spring semester, the College of Education maintains that they are doing everything they can to support future student teachers.
“UW has started to lay a firm foundation for continued support of our future student teachers during their residency that goes beyond the walls of the classroom,” McMahan said. “We are committed to supporting our student teachers during their residency and our constantly seeking opportunities to expand that support monetarily or otherwise.”
Secondary education students will complete their semester of classes here before heading out to their respective assigned locations for student teaching on Jan. 3.
