Hiring from within: Worcester schools want more of their students to become teachers
The Worcester Public Schools' (WPS) superintendent is seeking to create a pathway for high school students to become the city's future teachers.
During last week's school committee meeting, Superintendent Brian Allen introduced his proposal for the WPS Future Teacher Pipeline — a five-year program designed to help students become teachers.
Allen himself was a student at Worcester Public Schools , attending Quinsigamond Elementary, then Sullivan Middle School and then finally South High Community School.
He went on to work for WPS in 1999, beginning as an assistant business manager, embarking on a path that eventually led to him becoming superintendent in 2025.
Allen also went into the field of education, teaching graduate-level school finance and operations courses at Worcester State University as an adjunct faculty member since 2002.
"The WPS has access to high quality future teachers represented in our student body population," Allen said. "Rather than solely relying on external programs for the recruitment of our teachers, we can develop a sustainable program that leverages early college and new pathway opportunities, to engage and retain Worcester students in a teaching career."
The pipeline program was part of Allen's goals for the 2025-26 school year .
As part of the program, 15 to 20 high school juniors and seniors will be recruited to commit to the pipeline and take an early college course, according to Allen's presentation.
Alex Guardiola, the District D school committee member, praised the program during the meeting.
"Obviously early college is a great incentive and a really good initiative so they can get that going right away," Guardiola said.
The school committee member asked Allen if there were any opportunities for on-site learning and internship opportunities for students. Allen responded that the district will consider those ideas as the program is built.
"I think an opportunity to have that hands on learning that in other industries that we do," Guardiola said. "I think this is an opportunity as well to have some help and work right on within our school system."
District A Committee Member Molly McCullough encouraged Allen to continue working towards building the pipeline, calling it an "excellent" goal.
School Committee Member-at-Large Susan Coughlin Mailman expressed support for the program in general but questioned whether students would have the needed financial support if they signed onto this program.
"I get the general thing, but if I'm a family, are the schools going to help back my loan?" Mailman asked.
Nevertheless, the committee all voted in favor of Allen's goals, including the proposal to help students become teachers in the future.
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