Partners in Los Angeles Catholic education: cohort members’ opinions about the three pillars of their alternative teacher certification program for catholic schools

The purported teacher shortage impacting the United States has forced Catholic school systems nationwide to find innovative ways of recruiting individuals for whom education was not their original career of choice. One of the most successful efforts in this regard has been the development of Catholic university/(Arch)diocese partnerships offering said individuals the opportunity to teach in Catholic schools while earning academic degrees in Education. Cohortmembers of the Partners in Los Angeles Catholic Education (PLACE)/Loyola Marymount University (LMU) partnership in Southern California participated in this 5ndo n5, which investigated their reasons for applying to PLACE as well as their opinions about the three pillars of the program (Professional Development, Intentional Community, and Ignatian Spirituality), during their two-year tenure in it. Participants singled out Intentional Community as the most appealing and supportive pillar of PLACE, emphasized the need for more Professional Development and training prior to their first teaching experience, and pleaded for more structure and guidance in their Spirituality sessions. Additional research on the benefits of shared community living 5ndo n the need for adequate professional training seems necessary to improve the preparation of novice teachers in alternative certification programs.