Teacher & Leader Pathways
The Teacher & Leader Pathways Department is responsible for providing professional growth opportunities for prospective teachers, , staff, and education professionals employed by Richmond Public Schools.
Are you an RPS Employee interested in becoming a Licensed Teacher?
Sign up for more information on the Richmond Public Schools Build Our Own Teachers Program here.
Eligibility Requirements
- Must have a bachelors degree
- Must be a full time RPS employee (long term substitute, IAs, non-instructional personnel)
- Must finish Virtual and In person coursework by Summer 2024
- Commit to 3 years of Teaching in RPS
Tuition Reimbursement
RPS employees can receive up to $800 per school year for tuition and licensure tests opportunities. Please fill out the tuition reimbursement form and submit to Chrisantha James (Cjames2@rvaschool.s.net)
National Board Certification
Richmond Public Schools offers support for National Board Certification through the Center for Teacher Leadership at the VCU School of Education, the program provides teachers in the Metropolitan Education Alliance (META) school divisions with structured opportunities to clarify each aspect of the certification process and a network of support as they strive to meet the highest standards established for the profession. Contact Rodney Robinson at rrobins4@rvaschools.net for more information.
Richmond Teacher Residency
Richmond Teacher Residency is a highly selective graduate teacher residency program that recruits, trains, and supports teachers for high-needs and hard-to-staff schools. RTR residents learn alongside our top district teachers for an entire year while earning a graduate degree from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Yet, our support does not stop there. Our graduates receive one-on-one training with a content-specific career coach throughout the first two years of their teaching careers. With RTR, residents gain the skills and the experience to positively impact the lives of students from historically marginalized communities. Join us to make a difference.
Yale teachers institute
Teachers Institutes are educational partnerships between universities and school districts designed to strengthen teaching and learning in a community’s high-poverty public schools. The Yale Teachers Institute places equal emphasis on teachers increasing their knowledge of a subject and of their developing teaching strategies that will be effective with their students. At the core of its program is a series of collaborative seminars on subjects in the humanities, mathematics, and the sciences. Topics are requested by the teachers based on what they think could enrich their classroom instruction. Richmond Fellows have participated in the Yale Teachers Institute since 2005.
License Support
The Virginia Department of Education certifies all teachers employed by Richmond Public Schools. Any questions specific to licensure should be emailed to our Senior Licensure Specialist, Stephanie Sutton, ssutton@rvaschools.net.
RPS has partnerships with the following universities for those seeking classes to obtain course work for a teaching license.
VUU Weekend College offers discounted courses for licensure to meet the needs of the classroom teacher. For more information, contact the registrar's office at (800) 368-3227 or Dr. Michelle McQueen-Williams at MMcQueen-Williams@vuu.edu
University of Richmond offers coursework towards licensure. Please contact Dr. Laura Kuti at lkuti@richmond.edu for more information on licensure coursework. Please contact Kate Cassada at Kcassada@richmond.edu for information on leadership and administration programs.
Grand Canyon University
Grand Canyon University offers a myriad of online options for continuing education and to fulfill licensing requirements.
- Individual courses to meet provisional license requirements, many at $150 per credit
- Degree options that lead to teacher licensure, bachelors and masters degrees
For more information, contact Tara Nelson at (602) 247-4671 or Tara.Nelson@gcu.edu
To qualify for the program, a teacher must present a copy of the provisional license and the letter from the VDOE outlining the coursework required for full licensure. They may take just the courses designated by VDOE, but must take a minimum of 12 semester hours to receive the certificate. Financial Aid is available and courses are offered at the reduced rate of $325 per credit hour. Click here for more information or contact Dr. Alice Waddell at awaddell@marybaldwin.edu.
University of Phoenix offers coursed every four or six weeks. Contact Nicole Berkebile at (480) 290-4328 or Nicole.Berkebile@phoenix.edu for help with tuition reduction, courses for certification/recertification, certificates and degrees. Courses can be found here.