Student Teaching/Field Experiences

Student teaching, internships, and observation hours are the most important teacher preparation program experience. Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) offers quality teaching experiences to more than 500 teachers in training each year. We are strengthening our partnerships with colleges and universities to nurture the professional growth of the next generation of teachers and to provide quality learning experiences for the children in our schools. 

Application Process

Students seeking a student-teacher placement at FCPS should contact their university placement coordinator to make this request. The student teaching and internship application process includes the following steps:

• A completed online application to include an uploaded resume. The university contact will provide the application link.
• A referral from the student’s college or university via Attachment A.
• A criminal background check administered at the FCPS Welcome Center.
• The Department of Human Resources will provide specific details of acceptance to the college. 

Application Deadline

• Fall - To student teach in the fall, the application deadline is March 15.
• Spring - To student teach in the spring, the application deadline is November 14.

Criminal Background Check 

To complete the placement process, the student must be fingerprinted for a criminal background check three weeks before their first day at the assigned placement. FCPS will pay the fee for this requirement. Student teachers will have access electronically to schedule a fingerprinting appointment. They should report to the first floor of the Gatehouse Administration Center, 8115 Gatehouse Road, Falls Church, VA 22042, at the confirmed scheduled time. Walk-ins are not accepted. 

Documents needed to process the criminal background check:

• Negative TB test result
• Government-issued photo ID

FCPS Cooperating Teachers

Student teachers will be assigned to a cooperating teacher’s classroom. All cooperating teachers must meet the following minimum criteria:

• Three years of teaching experience.
• One year of experience in Fairfax County Public Schools.
• One year of experience in the current assignment.
• Qualities and traits necessary to provide practicum students, student teachers, and interns with experiences that will foster professional growth.
• Performance evaluation with a recommendation of “reappointment.”

Note: For universities seeking a student teacher placement for the first time, FCPS requires a signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) to accept placement requests from colleges and universities. An approved MOU can take up to six months to be processed. Please contact Peter Choi at [email protected] for new requests. 

Field Experience Practicum Observations

Field experience observations are for training teachers who typically seek 10 to 40 hours of observation time in an FCPS classroom. Requests for observation hours are the responsibility of the university and the student seeking placement. It is the discretion of each FCPS school administrator to determine if they can accommodate the specific request.

Field Experience Practicum Observation Process

• The university contact will submit a request to [email protected]. 
  • Field experience students will have access electronically to schedule a fingerprinting appointment. They should report to the first floor of the Gatehouse Administration Center, 8115 Gatehouse Road, Falls Church, VA 22042, at the confirmed scheduled time. Walk-ins are not accepted.
  • A government-issued photo ID is required.

FCPS Welcome Center

8115 Gatehouse Road
Falls Church, VA 22042
An appointment is required to visit the Gatehouse Administration Center and can be done so via our FCPS StaffConnect web portal. Details will be provided as part of the FCPS process.

Contact

Renee Foster
Office of Talent Acquisition
Department of Human Resources
[email protected]
471-423-3162