School Board Policy 499 -
Student Teaching

I. Purpose

It is the policy of the White Bear Lake Area School District to encourage the utilization of student teachers through agreements with approved teacher preparation institutions.

II. Admission to Student Teaching in The District

1. All requests for student teaching in the school district shall be made to the Department of Human Resources.

2. An applicant for a student teaching opportunity in the district shall:

a. Have completed the necessary requirements of an approved teacher education program;

b. Comply with the Minnesota Code of Ethics for Teachers;

c. Have and maintain, throughout the student teaching experience, good academic standing at the cooperating teacher preparation institution;

d. Meet all requirements of the cooperating teacher preparation institution for participation in its student teacher program.

3. The cooperating teacher preparation institution must enter into a school district approved agreement, and the agreement must be approved by the School Board.

4. The school district reserves the right to deny a student teaching opportunity to an applicant who is not qualified pursuant to II-2 or II-3, or for whom there is no student teaching position available, for whom no supervising teacher is available, or for any other good and valid reason.

5. The Department of Human Resources shall determine the placement of all student teachers.

III. Performance of the Student Teacher

1. A student teacher shall, during the course of the student teaching experience, be exposed to and given an opportunity to participate in the duties and activities of the teaching experience given the time available, including primary responsibility for substantial, meaningful classroom instruction and its attendant preparation and evaluation.

2. A student teacher shall not act as a substitute teacher in the district. This provision shall not be construed to preclude a student teacher from performing teaching services alone in a classroom as a part of the student teaching experience so long as the student teacher remains under general supervision as provided in Section III–3.

3. While student teaching in the district, a student teacher shall be under the supervision of a fully qualified teacher or principal.

4. A copy of any written evaluation generated from within the district which is intended to contribute to a student teacher’s grade or evaluation for the student teaching course or program at the teacher preparation institution may, at the option of the evaluator, be provided to the student teacher. Otherwise, the availability of the evaluation shall be determined by the teacher preparation institution.

IV. Conduct of the Student Teacher

While serving as a student teacher in the district, the student teacher shall:

1. Obey all reasonable directives of administrative and supervisory personnel;

2. Obey all school district rules, regulations, policies, and directives;

3. Not engage in conduct which disrupts, or could reasonably be expected to disrupt the educational process, or which is detrimental to the educational process.

V. Termination of Student Teaching Assignment

A student teacher assignment may be terminated by the district for those reasons and causes applicable to a probationary teacher in the school district, or for any other good and sufficient grounds rendering the student teacher unfit to perform assigned duties, including those described in Section IV.

VI. Background Check

The district shall perform the background check as required by Minnesota law for district employees. The cost of the background check shall be paid by the student teacher or the placing institution, in accord with the school district agreement with the respective placing institution.

VII. Copy of Policy

A student teacher shall be provided a copy of this policy upon acceptance for a student teaching experience in the district.

VIII. Financial Arrangements

Stipends to supervising teachers from cooperating colleges and universities will be paid in accordance with the agreement that the district has with the cooperating college and university. The amount of payment may vary depending on the policy of the college.

Legal References: 
Minn. Stat. § 122A.09

Cross References: 
WBLASB Policy 404 (Employment Background Checks)
WBLASB Policy 423 (Employee - Student Relationships)