Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How do I get placed in a Fargo Public School District elementary, middle or high school as a Student Teacher?
A. Please see the Student Teachers section of this site for details. 

Q.  What should I do if I want to be placed at a certain school?
A.  You will be able to provide your preferences for placement as part of the application process.  We will do our best to grant requests, but it is dependent on our pool of cooperating teachers, best match, and a variety of other factors. 

Q.  What is the program timeline for the Spring and Fall Semesters?
A.  There are several important dates for the Fargo Public School Student Teaching Program:

Fall Semester Registration Period: January 15 - March 30 (student teaching August - December at FPS)
Spring Semester Registration Period: September 1 - November 15 (student teaching January - May 30 at FPS)

Q. As a Student Teacher, can I also substitute teach in the district?
A. The Fargo Public School District does not allow student teacher candidates to substitute teach during the semester if they are Student Teaching in an FPS classroom. We encourage students to join the district as a substitute teacher after the completion of their student teaching time in a classroom.

Q.  Is the Advanced Cooperating Teacher expected to turn over the classroom responsibilities to the student teacher for a specific period of time?
A. Each university or college has a specific timeline that dictates how and when a student teacher should have more of a leadership role in classroom planning and instruction. FPS encourages gradual release of responsibility throughout the student teaching experience with ongoing shared ownership.  This requires that mentor teachers actively supervise their student teachers throughout the entire teaching experience. 

Q.  Does the principal meet the student teacher candidate prior to accepting the placement at the school?
A. The Building Principal will be conducting initial interviews with all prospective student teaching candidates prior to notifying schools of a possible student teacher placement. Once a school has been selected for a student teaching placement, principals may choose to schedule a time to meet and conduct an interview to determine if this placement will be a good fit for the student teacher and the school.

Q.  If a school is contacted by a student teacher, where should they be directed? 
A. Please refer all possible student teacher candidates to the FPS website and have them go through the application process. 

Q.  We have received a request from a student to do their field experience/observations at our school. Do we need to contact Human Capital for this placement?
A.  Yes, students who make this request must receive permission from the principal and must notify Human Capital prior to working in a school.