Midland University and Educational Service Unit No. 2 are partnering to help address a substitute teacher shortage in area schools — and give aspiring teachers a dose of life in the classroom.

The program is available to a consortium of 11 northeast Nebraska school districts and provides Midland University Education students opportunities to get paid for covering classes at any of the districts involved when a substitute may not be available.

“We tried to make this as painless for the college student as possible, provide a source of revenue for them and provide an opportunity for our schools to find substitute teachers,” said Ted DeTurk, the administrator for ESU 2. “Our goal all along has been just a ‘win-win.’”

The program is still in its infancy. It started in February with its consortium of 11 districts and 15 hand-picked Midland student participants, numbers provided by ESU 2 state.

Read more in this story in the Fremont Tribune.