Expectations of Participating Districts
- Nominate candidate for admission to the program, making a commitment to hire that candidate as an intern upon the candidate’s successful completion of the eight-week summer program at Eastern Illinois University. Contractually, interns are treated as teachers, eligible to receive standard first-year salary and benefits.
- Contract with EIU to cover roles and responsibilities of both EIU and participating school district. Provide an individual to serve as a mentor for each candidate nominated and pay expenses for that mentor to be trained. Any remuneration required by contract and/or district policy would be the district’s responsibility.
- Provide support for candidate and mentor. Require them to meet regularly throughout the internship. Participate in candidate and program evaluation.
- Provide a set of resources for each candidate to bring to EIU at the beginning of the eight-week summer program consisting of curriculum materials, relevant state and district standards and assessments, and any other resources necessary for the candidate to prepare for teaching during the school year.
- Provide candidates with supplies and support needed to complete the internship (e.g., internet access, office supplies, phone calls, etc.). Avoid assigning candidates extra duties such as coaching or other responsibilities. If candidates must be assigned extra duties, internship activities must take priority over those assignments.
- Grant each candidate permission to visit the school district during May and June to complete projects that include classroom observation, as well as participation in a variety of activities typical of those required of teachers in the district (e.g., planning, teaching, supervision, record-keeping, assessment, and so on).
