On Monday, August 19, 2024, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin visited Culpeper to participate in the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Germanna Future Educators Academy Laboratory (Lab) School, Culpeper’s newest dual enrollment program. The event took place just two years and two days after the Virginia Department of Education announced $100 million in funding for College Partnership Lab Schools.
The ceremony celebrated two years of dedicated effort to launch the program, in addition to a focus on its ultimate goal — bringing more teachers into our classrooms. Seventeen high school juniors from Culpeper, Orange, Rappahannock and Madison Counties were in attendance to help Governor Youngkin cut the ribbon as the first students enrolled in the Future Educators Academy.
The program opened with a welcome and acknowledgments from Dr. Janet Gullickson, the President of Germanna Community College. Dr. Gullickson introduced the guest speakers for the program including Dr. David Doré, Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System, Dr. Kimberly Blosser, President of the Laurel Ridge Community College, Dr. Tony Brads, Division Superintendent of Culpeper County Public Schools (CCPS), Dr. Karen Sanzo from Old Dominion University, Lotus Gillespie, student from Rappahannock County Public Schools, and Governor Glenn Youngkin.
Dr. Brads, speaking on behalf of the school superintendents, expressed gratitude to the Governor for his vision, leadership, and support of the Lab School. He also extended thanks to the college partnership leaders, school board members, and the executive and steering committees for their role in making the program a reality. Dr. Brads emphasized that the initiative was born from a motivated group of school division leaders who recognized a 'once-in-a-lifetime' opportunity to tackle the teacher shortage by “creating a sustainable Grow Your Own teacher program in collaboration with our higher education partners.” He explained that the program is designed to “provide rigorous instruction, mentorship, and high-quality work-based learning experiences,” ultimately ensuring more qualified candidates enter the teacher workforce pipeline.
Rappahannock County student Lotus Gillespie spoke on behalf of the students, explaining how she was inspired to become a teacher by the support that she received from her own teachers, and specifically named one middle school teacher who helped her through a hard time in her life. With a big smile throughout her remarks, Gillespie shared excitement for the opportunity that she and her fellow classmates have ahead of them.
The final speaker was Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin. He addressed the crowd with information about the lab school concept, and how there are other lab schools starting in Virginia in the areas of healthcare, coding and the maritime industry. Addressing the students he said, “Is there any career that is more noble that impacts the future of Virginians more than being a teacher? Teachers change lives.”
After his uplifting remarks, Governor Youngkin called all of the Future Educators Academy students to the stage to cut the ribbon with him. After the ribbon cutting, the Governor spent some time talking with the students and even took a selfie with them before he departed.
From CCPS, six students are enrolled in the Germanna Future Educators Academy, three from each high school. They will spend half of their day at the Daniel Technology Center, taking dual enrolled classes that will lead them towards teacher licensure. Credits will count for their high school diploma and an associate’s degree. Upon high school graduation, they will continue the program at a four-year university where they can complete their Bachelor’s Degree and teacher licensure requirements in two years. Graduates of the Academy will be granted placement in one of the partnering school divisions as full-time teachers with teaching commitments of two years.
Next year, the program will expand to Laurel Ridge Community College and include seven additional school divisions. Dr. Brads envisions even broader growth in the future. “I believe that the future of teacher education and training in this format has the potential to be generalizable to all 23 community colleges across the Commonwealth,” he said. “This would supplement, not supplant the great work of our four-year partners. In order to address the teacher shortage, we need both.”
This groundbreaking initiative marks a significant step forward in advancing educational opportunities for our students and fostering innovation within the region. Culpeper County Public Schools is grateful for the opportunity to offer this exciting opportunity to our students. We look forward to welcoming them back to our classrooms in four years, not as students, but as fully licensed teachers.
