Since 2018, students in the South Valley who wanted to teach elementary school have had a unique opportunity to earn their multisubject teaching credential in just four years through the Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP). This year, the ITEP program expanded to Fresno State’s main campus and Lemoore Community College, making it faster to get teachers into more classrooms. Previously, the program was only available at the Fresno State South Valley Campus in Visalia.
The accelerated program enables students to begin their careers over 25 percent faster than the traditional pathway.
Graduating from a dual enrollment program in high school and going directly into the ITEP program, Luvdeep Shergil is on track to earn his degree and credential at just 20 years old. His sister, Harman, is also enrolled in the program.
“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved teaching others,” Harman said. “I would find myself helping the students like my peers with their homework, but I wouldn’t give them the answers. I would teach them how to do it.”
The siblings also find inspiration in their father, Gurdeep Shergil. An alumnus of Fresno State, he graduated with his teaching credential and subsequently earned his master’s degree in educational leadership. He teaches third grade in Central Unified School District.
“My plan following graduation is…to be a third-grade teacher,” said Luvdeep, confirming he hopes to follow in his father’s footsteps.
Harman has similar plans to earn her bachelor’s degree in liberal studies and her multisubject teaching credential. Then, she intends to teach second or third grade while pursuing her master’s degree in educational leadership, just like her father.
For most students seeking a teaching credential, the journey typically spans five and a half years. The first four years are spent achieving a bachelor’s degree, followed by a year and a half in the credential program, which also involves gaining classroom experience.
“These are the folks who lined up their toys and taught them when they were kids, the ones who have always known they wanted to be a teacher,” said Dr. Patricia Lane, assistant professor of liberal studies and the program coordinator. “There’s no time for exploratory type of programming because all the classes are focused on teaching and the content areas that they need to be a teacher.”
The program is an intense two years, including a summer semester. In the end, students receive a bachelor’s degree and a multiple-subject teaching credential simultaneously – and they are ready to teach in their local elementary schools. There are additional options of a multiple-subject bilingual authorization in Spanish or Hmong available at the Visalia and Fresno campuses, or an education specialist option to teach special education in the K-12 system at the Visalia campus.
“The students are cohorted, so they take classes together,” Lane said.
For Harman and Luvdeep, this means they always have a study partner.
“We’ve had a lot of college classes together. We’ve always been going to the same school, and he’s just like my best friend. It’s a built-in best friend and brother kind of thing,” Harman said.
Most students begin their pathway at a local community college, then transfer to the Lemoore Community College campus, Fresno State’s South Valley Campus in Visalia or the main Fresno State campus to join an ITEP cohort. However, now that the program is also on the main campus, it gives current Fresno State students with the proper prerequisites the opportunity to join the program in their third year.
To get their degree and credentials even faster, Harman and Luvdeep took advantage of California’s College and Career Access Pathways program, commonly known as “dual enrollment,” to take college courses while still at Central West High School.
That resulted in Harman graduating from high school last year with a year of college credits. She went on to complete her associate’s degree at Fresno City College in May. Luvdeep got an even quicker jumpstart to his schooling.
“I was one of the first to graduate with the [associate’s of arts] degree in Central Unified,” Luvdeep said.
With a high school diploma and an associate’s degree achieved simultaneously, he was able to transfer directly into the program as a junior and is on track to be the youngest person to ever receive a teaching credential through the program, according to Lane.
The result of the two programs combined is that Luvdeep plans to have his teaching credential at just 20 years old in spring 2027. His older sister Harman plans to graduate at the same time, at 21 years old.
