The Teacher Development Department at the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools (FCSS) has significantly evolved since its inception. Launched in 1998, the department has expanded over the past several decades to offer four comprehensive programs that support educators throughout the county.

FCSS Teachers College Internship Program: The FCSS Teachers College Internship Program offers an alternative pathway for individuals to become credentialed teachers. Our two-year program allows interns, holding intern credentials, to serve as salaried 'teachers of record' in their own classrooms. While managing their classrooms full-time, interns complete evening coursework through FCSS to fulfill requirements to obtain their Preliminary teaching credential. During the two year program, teacher interns also complete all state-mandated licensure exams, including the California Teacher Performance Assessments and the Literacy Performance Assessment, to ensure they meet the standards for successful teaching careers.

Rural Teacher Residency Program: Our Rural Teacher Residency Program is an innovative “grow-your-own” model designed to recruit, retain, and develop teachers for rural districts that face unique challenges in teacher recruitment. This one-year program places residents in classrooms with skilled mentor teachers during the day while they complete coursework in the evenings through partnerships with Fresno State and Fresno Pacific University. This approach ensures teacher residents are fully prepared for the demands of the classroom upon program completion.

Peer Assistance and Coaching: The Peer Assistance and Coaching (PAC) program offers individualized coaching to FCSS teachers, school nurses and speech pathologists, providing on-the-job professional learning. Through a collaborative process with their coach, participants engage in a series of goal-setting cycles designed to enhance their practice and foster professional growth.

Teacher Induction Program: What began as a small initiative has grown into a program that now supports over 1,000 teachers across 53 school districts, private schools, and charter schools in Fresno County. Our mission is to help new teachers thrive while ensuring that students, especially in rural areas, receive high-quality education from well-prepared educators. The Teacher Induction Program is a job-embedded coaching model designed to help teachers clear their preliminary credentials.