Sarasota County Schools proudly welcomed nine new teachers – all from the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee’s College of Education – to its ranks earlier this week. This past semester, Sarasota County Schools hosted 71 college and university students from 11 different educational institutions. The students were placed in 25 public schools throughout the district, with placements ranging from field experiences and observations to final teaching internships. Nine students from the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee’s College of Education completed final teaching internships – all nine students received acceptance agreements for teaching positions with Sarasota County Schools for the 2024-2025 school year. Sarasota County Schools – for the first time – was able to pay its teaching interns, and offer a stipend to supervising teachers, courtesy of the generosity of Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation. This builds upon Sarasota County Schools’ existing partnership with Barancik Foundation to enhance efforts relating to teacher recruitment, retention, and recognition. These nine new teachers will participate in the district’s First Year Teacher Induction program. In addition to an immersive training this summer – covering collaborative learning environments, classroom management, educational technology, and more – the new instructional hires will be matched with a mentor to help them navigate their first year on the job.