A match made in North Idaho
Katy Hudson, left, an LCSC PACE student, plays a field game with elementary school children on Friday. (MADISON HARDY/Press)
Hannah Sheppard, an LCSC student, talks with elementary learners during the first 2021 PACE session - a program that provides educators-in-training the hands-on experience needed for the job. (MADISON HARDY/Press)
Bailey Andrews, a second year LCSC PACE student, plays along with elementary students during the Success Camp summer series. (MADISON HARDY/Press)
“Ms. Andrews?”
Bailey Andrews, 29, known to her Success Camp students as Ms. Andrews, whipped around to see one of her pupils holding a freshly pulled tooth in the palm of her hand Friday afternoon. Immediately she went into action, demonstrating the hands-on, real-time experience offered through the Lewis-Clark State College PACE program.
The Pathways for Accelerated Certification & Endorsement — known as PACE — is an alternative certification program for individuals seeking a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, an Idaho Elementary Teacher Certification and specialty endorsements.
For the past 14 years, LCSC has partnered with the Post Falls School District to facilitate the summer coursework, consisting of an eight-week instruction period and student teaching internships following state, common core and next-generation science standards.
“We expect professionalism and push them through supervised one-on-one learning,” said Melinda Tompkins, the LCSC Coeur d’Alene PACE director. “This is an intensive program.”
Most LCSC participants are born, raised and eventually work in North Idaho, Tompkins noted.
“We’re appreciative of the partnership that we have and the opportunity to see what is coming through the teacher pipeline,” said Anna Wilson, Post Falls assistant superintendent for elementary programs. “We’ve hired a lot of PACE students.”
This year, 26 LCSC Success Camp participants are leading 130 students between third and fifth grade. The program is free for elementary students. It also provides transportation, breakfast and lunch.
Andrews, a mother to three, grew up in Rathdrum and moved last year to Spirit Lake. Like many other LCSC students, Andrews started her collegiate career at North Idaho College and entered the teaching program after a year and a half of business school. She hopes to become a special education professional and apply those skills as a teacher in Kootenai County.
“I just wanted to work with kids,” Andrews said. “Growing up, everyone said I would be a great teacher. It just took me a while to realize they were right.”
Andrews said she favors the idea of starting her teaching journey by being in a classroom with real kids.
“Learning about classroom management by actually engaging with students has been the best practice,” Andrews explained. “I’ve had friends who have graduated from different colleges and taught with different approaches where they haven’t been in the classroom as much. The PACE model feels more consistent, more like real teaching.”
In her second year with the PACE program, Andrews said she is more confident in her abilities. That feeling of confidence is a quality second-year student Hannah Sheppard said she also gained through PACE.
“Having an idea of what teaching is like, not just during class time but the prep work, developing quality lesson plans, and establishing a teaching community is important,” Sheppard said.
Sheppard, 22, grew up in Wallace and attended NIC for two and a half years before enrolling at LCSC. When choosing PACE, a significant factor for Sheppard was the ability to continue traditional coursework, participate in summer internships, and work with local school district administrators who could one day become employers.
“Teaching is a hard job, and you want teachers to know the hardships first hand,” she said. “Being able to go and already have those experiences before being in a classroom is helpful.”
A graduate of the first PACE class, Dinah Jaddie, 48, received a master’s degree in education after teaching in Sandpoint for several years. Before achieving those heights, Jaddie had started on an accounting degree but didn't finish. After getting married and raising three kids, she decided it was time to try again.
“I made the decision that I was going to go to college and get my degree. The PACE program made it accessible and gave me a hands-on education,” Jaddie said. “It was the best of both worlds.”
Juggling her responsibilities as a wife and mother while enrolled in PACE was a lot, she said, but it's a reality that the PACE program accommodates.
“This works for those people who are changing their careers, or even moms like me. I see a ton of mothers in our program now. We even have some teacher candidates who enroll their children in the program,” Jaddie said.
Registration for the PACE program is closed for 2021 but will become available next year.
