HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — Northern Kentucky University and local school districts are tackling Kentucky's teacher shortage by helping teacher aides become certified teachers without requiring them to leave their jobs.
For Brittney Dunaway, becoming a teacher once felt out of reach.
She tried college 3 times. Work got in the way. Her kids' schedules got in the way. Life got in the way.
"I just knew education was my field," Dunaway said. "I just struggled to get where I needed to be to be successful in that field."
Then she found Northern Kentucky University's Pathway for Paraeducators program — and everything changed.
"They gave us the option to do online classes, they gave us the option to take night classes, and all these things made it possible for me to obtain my degree," Dunaway said.
This spring, Dunaway was among the first group of 13 paraeducators to graduate from the program. She is now a first-grade teacher at Glenn O. Swing Elementary in the Covington Independent Public School District.
The program is part of a state initiative created by Kentucky lawmakers in 2022, called Option 9. It allows teacher aides, also called paraeducators or instructional assistants, to keep their current jobs while earning both a college degree and a teaching certificate in three years.
Before the program existed, that simply was not possible.
"Prior to creating the Pathway for Paraeducators program here in the College of Education, potential students who wanted to seek a teacher education degree would have had to quit their full-time jobs to complete the practicum experiences and the student teaching experiences that are part of our program," said Eileen Shanahan, chair of the NKU Department of Teacher Preparation and Educational Studies.
WATCH: Kentucky mom tried college 3 times before NKU program helped her become a teacher
The program uses a cohort model, meaning the same group of students takes every course together, semester after semester, building relationships along the way.
For Dunaway, that made all the difference.
"Without this cohort, I wouldn't have gotten through this program. It is absolutely imperative to have people that understand your journey and support you," Dunaway said.
Local school districts also provide mentors for paraeducators throughout the program. While a teaching job is not guaranteed upon graduation, many districts actively work with graduates to secure placements.
More than 52 additional paraeducators are currently enrolled across elementary education, special education and early childhood education pathways. NKU has also awarded more than $115,000 in scholarships to support participants, including help covering the cost of certification exams.
Dunaway's goals do not stop at the classroom. She plans to return to NKU for a degree in educational leadership.
"I would like to be a principal and even someday a superintendent," Dunaway said. "Big goals, big dreams."
For Shanahan, watching paraeducators like Dunaway cross that finish line is exactly the point.
"It's really what we're all about, and it's an honor to be a part of it," Shanahan said.
NKU is currently accepting applications for new paraeducators interested in the program.
