Lone Star College students training to become teachers can earn pay for classroom work through a new partnership with iEducate. The nonprofit places college students alongside teachers in elementary schools.

The college system and iEducate announced the deal Wednesday, Sept. 16, with paid tutoring positions already posted on Lone Star's career portal, Handshake, according to Woodlands Online. The jobs target students enrolled in Lone Star's Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) program.

iEducate plans to hire up to 20 AAT students in the program's first year, 50 in the second year and as many as 100 in the third year, depending on funding and demand. Each student must maintain good academic standing and will log at least 600 hours of direct instructional practice per academic year in a partner school district.

Chantell Link, Lone Star College System's chief of Industry Partnerships and Career Advancement, said the partnership is designed to connect coursework to careers by placing students in real classrooms while they earn income.

The AAT program is offered at all eight main Lone Star College campuses and four satellite centers.

Credits transfer to any public college or university in Texas.

iEducate CEO Arun Gir said the partnership turns the part-time jobs college students already hold into career-building work. "College students are already likely to work while they're enrolled, and we're excited to partner with Lone Star College System to make that work experience meaningful for future educators," Gir said. The nonprofit's model pairs tutors with classroom teachers to provide small-group instruction in Title I elementary schools.

Teacher shortage adds urgency

The partnership arrives as Texas school districts struggle to hire certified teachers. About 27% of new teacher hires statewide in the 2025-26 school year had no certifications, according to state data reported by the Houston Chronicle in April. The share of uncertified teachers across all positions rose from about 4% in 2020 to nearly 12% in 2025-26.

A new state law requires public school districts to employ certified teachers in core subjects by the 2027-28 school year, with a possible two-year extension.

Spring ISD Superintendent Kregg Cuellar has spoken publicly about the pressure. "The education profession, in terms of the teaching profession, has been struggling the last five years," Cuellar said April 18, when the Houston Chronicle reported on Spring ISD's own grow-your-own signing event, where 32 students pledged to return to the district as teachers.

Lone Star College, which serves more than 97,000 students, has been building other teacher-pipeline programs in the area. In April, LSC-University Park, Klein ISD and the University of Houston-Downtown formalized the Lions & Gators Future Teacher Alliance, backed by $180,000 in Charles Butt Foundation scholarships. Klein ISD also runs one of the largest teacher residency programs in Texas, according to the district.

The iEducate announcement did not name which school districts will host the paid placements. Students can apply through Handshake.