First members of Future Educators program land jobs in Springfield Public Schools

Drew Irwin earned a fine arts degree at Missouri State University and pursued work as an actor in Los Angeles and Nashville before moving back to Springfield. Living here with his wife and two sons, he started thinking about a new chapter.

"Being a teacher has always been something I wanted to do," Irwin, 34, recalled. "Coming out of high school, the two options I was looking at was being a teacher — specifically in math, I really love math — or being an actor and, quite frankly, when you're 18 being an actor sounds like a lot more fun."

Prizing family time and wanting to make a difference, Irwin returned to Missouri State to learn to be a teacher.

In August 2022, Irwin and six other Missouri State students became part of the first cohort of the Future Educators program — a partnership between the university and Springfield Public Schools — to recruit, hire and retain teachers from underrepresented and under-resourced backgrounds.

The program offers financial assistance, training and support. In exchange, participants who are hired by the district agree to stay at least four years.

"Once I got into the education program at Missouri State, I felt like a completely different person. I knew this is what I needed to be doing, it is what I wanted to be doing," he said. "It feels different when you are doing something you are passionate about."

Irwin and Samantha Johnson are the first two to finish and accept jobs with the state's largest district. Irwin plans to teach fourth grade at Twain Elementary.

"It is a dream come true. My oldest son has gone through kindergarten and now he is in fifth grade. My youngest son will be starting kindergarten there next year," Irwin said. "It is my home school. I have subbed there a lot and I have made a lot great relationships with the staff, the teachers."

Johnson, who is originally from Texas, will graduate with a bachelor's degree in early education this week. She will teach kindergarten at Bingham Elementary.

"One of the goals I set for myself was to graduate with my bachelor's degree before I turn 30 so it looks like it will work out," said Johnson, age 29.

She initially pursued a career as a dental hygienist but during the pandemic figured out her place was inside of an elementary classroom.

"This is a dream come true," she said.

Johnson said the Future Educators program allows her to stay in Springfield. Interview preparation was one of the resources she accessed.

As the first person in her family to graduate from college, she was unfamiliar with how to navigate the professional interview process for a teaching job.

"I think I'd still be searching for a job if they would not have helped me," she said.

"There are great people in SPS. They taught me how to be confident and how to be bold, that I belong here, I worked for this."

Johnson said she is excited for each step including new teacher induction and work days before the first day of school.

"They gave us additional training, books for our classroom, and a whole lot of information. We were working with really qualified people who gave up their Saturdays to help us," she said. "Of course, they were also available by email."

Irwin said the "Saturday Summits," include guest speakers and training by K-12 educators who are working inside the schools and have firsthand knowledge.

"Trainings are coming from a real spot. This isn't a repetition of campus courses when you're talking a lot about best practices, theories. This is real life coming from real teachers doing it right now," Irwin said. "That has helped me feel more prepared for what I'm about to start."

This spring, the district offered mock interviews, professional headshots and other resources.

"They were willing to help us out with whatever we need," Irwin said. "There is a lot of fear going into the first year of teaching but a lot of that has subsided."

Components of the program include financial assistance, supplemental training, mentor support and job placement assistance to complete the requirements for teacher certification.

Michelle Gavel, director of student access and opportunity for Springfield district, said MSU President Clif Smart and Superintendent Grenita Lathan are supportive of the innovative program.

"The hope is (participants) fulfill the four years but they stay because they have built a connection in the district, they have built a connection with the students and they have built a connection with the school where they are working," she said in a fall 2022 interview.

Gavel said the program was created to address the teacher shortage and to help future teachers from a wide variety of backgrounds find a place in the district.

"We want to diversify the applicant pool," she said.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: SPS hires two teachers from Future Educators program with MSU