Marion Community Schools has been selected by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education to participate in their Teacher Residency Grant Program, which supports high-quality mentoring experiences for future educators.
The Teacher Residency Program, modeled after medical residency and apprenticeship programs, provides year-long, paid teaching experiences for student educators who plan on teaching kindergarten through 12th grade. Student educators teach alongside an experienced mentor teacher, which prepares them for success in the classroom after graduation. School corporations partner with an Indiana postsecondary institution to implement the residency program in their district.
ICHE awarded Marion Community Schools $15,000 to support one resident teacher for the 2025-26 academic year, in partnership with Ball State University. Funding is used to pay resident and mentor teacher stipends, as well as support costs for postsecondary partners.
MCS is pleased to be among only 38 school systems in the state selected for this program.
"The Teacher Residency Grant is an integral opportunity to provide hands-on experiences that prepare students and aspiring teachers for their careers after graduation,” Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Chris Lowery said. “This helps strengthen the teacher pipeline in Indiana, while building local teacher-to-employer connections that will boost graduate retention.”
MCS believes that supporting educators is essential to providing high-quality education to our students. Being selected as an ICHE Teacher Residency Program participant means we can build relationships with education students even before they are ready to take on their own classroom. It also provides a strong link between MCS and Ball State University's Teachers College. This is a boost not only for educator training, but for recruitment efforts as we seek out the best educators to serve our community!
Marion Community Schools also provides educators just beginning their careers with mentoring, pairing them with experienced educators within our school system. Mentor teachers help to guide new educators through those challenging first years, helping them put their training to effective use in their own classrooms, and also helping them navigate the logistical and professional hurdles of starting a new career.
Our students deserve a great education, and our community deserves great schools. Providing excellent support for our educators is one of the ways we can strive for greatness together!
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