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Internships help teachers enrich classroom work ESD puts educators on the job By VICKI GUARINO A summer jobs program for teachers is intended to make school work more meaningful for students. Along the way, the Jackson Education Service District-sponsored internships are expected to help teachers meet new state licensing requirements. "The thrust is not just to give teachers the experience, but to give them some resources to make their teaching more meaningful and relevant," said Rick Foertsch, a consultant for the ESD working to build up the program. This summer, 10 teachers from Jackson, Josephine and Klamath counties participated in ESD-organized internships. Several more teachers got help from Foertsch in setting up their own internships. The professional technical education program put teachers in a metal fabrication shop, a television studio, even a rural fire department for weeks of practical work. Private school teachers also saw value in work outside school. Cascade Christian High School teacher Debbie Knapp was one of 19 teachers from western Oregon and Washington who spent six weeks learning about the forest products industry in an industry-sponsored internship program. Knapp earned a salary from Boise Cascade while surveying timber stands with company foresters. Not all teachers were paid for their non-teaching summertime duties. Those working to maintain state licenses, however, could arrange to receive mandatory continuing education credits by going through the ESD. Starting with teachers receiving licenses this year, teachers will have to show education credits to renew licenses, says Mike Van De Walker, the regional coordinator for the ESD's professional technical education office. Teachers may earn credits through internships or college classes. The job-site internships can be particularly helpful to teachers who have a strong university background, says ESD specialist Martha Murphy. Murphy said the business and industry experience can help teachers prepare students for the workplace. Also, internships can help teachers keep up to date on changes in professions related to their teaching specialties. ESD staff say they want to expand internship participation among teachers and businesses. The program also could extend beyond summer months, to include brief weekend and evening work assignments. Not only is the program expected to be more significant to teacher licensing in the coming years, it will benefit business and students, Foertsch says. "We feel like the employers have a lot of resources that would enhance public education, and we're not taking advantage of them,'' Foertsch says. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA