Student Teaching in Home District

Situation: Students often want to student teach in their home districts and frequently are asked to do so by a field placement mentor. An example would be where a student attended Lakewood Elementary in West Ottawa and was asked by a mentor teacher at Waukazoo Elementary to student teach with her. In some cases, a student may have moved from one district to another after the elementary or middle school years and is thus prevented from student teaching in either district.

Questions: Should we allow student teachers to student teach in their home districts? Are there special circumstances that could/should supercede our previous policy? What would be the ramifications/concerns of having students in their home district at the elementary level? Secondary?

Policy Proposal: Student teaching at the 9-12 level in a student’s home district will not be allowed except in certain circumstances, such as the following: the student teacher has been invited by a mentor teacher to student teach in the home district, but the student teacher did not attend that building. Additionally, a student teaching placement will not be made in a location where an immediate family member is employed. All placement decisions would be at the discretion of the Director of Student Teaching.