Mount Marty student teachers have new opportunities to be paid

This school year, Mount Marty student teachers have the opportunity to receive payment for their fieldwork, thanks to South Dakota House Bill 1092.

A student journeying through the Mount Marty education program is required to do a semester of student teaching. Before this new opportunity, students in their semester of student teaching had the risk of potential financial hardship. "The student teaching semester is an intense one, where teacher candidates straddle being a K-12 teacher and a university student," said Jennifer Weber, Ed.D., department chair of teacher education. "It is busy and all-encompassing, and we highly discourage any outside work. This almost always creates a financial burden for our students."

Now, if the students choose to — and can — work at a participating school district for their fieldwork, they can be paid for their time while gaining valuable experience. 

South Dakota House Bill 1092 was approved in the spring of 2025, allowing schools to apply for grants to provide stipends to student teachers. Mount Marty worked with numerous districts throughout the summer to apply for the grant. Currently, five of Mount Marty's partnering schools for student teaching placement this semester were awarded the state grant and are paying Mount Marty's student teachers. These districts include Ethan School District, Irene-Wakonda School District, Sioux Falls Bishop O'Gorman Catholic Schools, Yankton Sacred Heart Schools and the Yankton School District.

Weber said, “We are always so grateful to our partner schools, but this is a whole new level of appreciation. We worked hard this summer to advocate for our students and to help districts who might consider this opportunity for them.”

The 4+1 Student Teaching Model

Recently, the Yankton School District and Mount Marty were able to take this opportunity one step further to benefit both parties. Mount Marty and the Yankton School District have agreed to a 4+1 Student Teaching Model, which allows Mount Marty student teachers to teach four days out of the week with their host cooperating teacher. On the other day of the week, students can substitute teach in grade levels that align with their comfort level within the school district. They will also receive a substitute wage and a stipend for those substitute days.

Weber stated that Mount Marty and the Yankton School District have discussed the shortage of substitute teachers for years. "Since the teacher shortage has ramped up, districts everywhere have had difficulty not just in seeking teachers but substitutes as well," Weber said. "When South Dakota House Bill 1092 was approved, it was prime time to develop a program that would serve us both well."

What made the relationship with the Yankton School District different from the other schools that applied for the grant was that, with the 4+1 Model, the Yankton School District agreed to pay student teachers for their fieldwork as well as days of substitute teaching, regardless of whether their institution received the grant.

Weber said, "The landscape of teacher preparation and certification is in a state of change, and we were looking for an opportunity to maintain the integrity of the student teaching experience while also serving our partners."

How it works

In the 4+1 Model, student teachers will work and learn from their cooperating teacher for one month, five days a week. Following that month, the student is evaluated and may become a substitute teacher one day out of the five. The cooperating teacher, administration and student teacher will decide on a day each week that is consistent for the student teacher to substitute. When they substitute, they will be paid a substitute wage for the day. Regardless of the grant, the school district will also provide a $1,000 stipend to the Mount Marty student teachers. Weber said, "When pooled, this is almost $3000 per student teacher."

The difference

Leah Williams '26, a mathematics education major, is part of the fall cohort participating in the 4+1 Model. She spends four days a week with her cooperating teacher and substitutes for a math teacher on maternity leave one day a week. "Once a week, I get to experience going into another classroom, teaching a different math subject, and engaging with a diverse group of students. My favorite part is being able to practice my classroom management skills when there isn't a teacher, and students aren't familiar with me. I believe it provides valuable teaching experience that will prepare me for my first year of teaching." Williams added that she is grateful for the substitute wage and stipend to help with educational costs, and that it is nice to receive new insights into the Yankton School District.

Before this agreement, students could substitute no more than 10 days and only in the classroom of their cooperating teacher. Students who substituted had to switch from their student teaching role to a substitute one to receive payment. The switching of roles required the students to add days to their field experience to compensate for the substitute teaching days. "It was becoming more of a puzzle to ensure everyone was meeting requirements, and we were maintaining our robust experience," Weber said.

Now, with the new agreement, each student teacher can substitute for 12 days throughout the district. With five student teachers teaching in the Yankton School District this fall and three more prepared to teach in the spring, the school district will be able to secure 96 substitute teaching positions for the current academic year. Weber said, "Student teaching is the final step prior to being a certified teacher, so the substitutes they are getting have nearly all the requisites to being a highly qualified teacher. Therefore, the teacher who is using the substitute can have reasonable expectations that school will continue as close to normal as possible." The school district also has the opportunity to evaluate Mount Marty student teachers based on their substitute teaching experiences for future potential employment and to educate them about their district. 

Weber said, "This opportunity [the 4+1 Model] allows our teacher candidates to receive payments while maintaining the integrity of the student teaching experience. It is a win-win for everyone."  

Mount Marty is interested in working with more districts that could benefit from a 4+1 Student Teaching Model to combat their substitute teacher shortage. 

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About Mount Marty University

Founded in 1936 by the Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery, Mount Marty University is South Dakota's only Catholic, Benedictine institution of higher education. Located along the bluffs of the Missouri River in Yankton, with additional locations in Watertown and Sioux Falls, Mount Marty offers undergraduate and graduate degrees focusing on student and alumni success in high-demand fields such as health sciences, education, criminal justice, business, accounting, recreation management, and more. A community of learners in the Benedictine tradition, Mount Marty emphasizes academic excellence and develops well-rounded students with intellectual competence, professional and personal skills and moral, spiritual and social values. To learn more, visit mountmarty.edu.