The project described brings together three different problems in education. First, there is the frequently cited need for better-trained teachers. The second problem is the school district's constant requirement for competent substitute teachers. The third problem is the need for closer ties between the school district and a local university. The program at the University of Bridgeport helps to alleviate all three concerns, as evidence from five years of experience attests to its effectiveness. In a cooperative arrangement between the university and several school districts, graduate students are assigned as substitute teachers in specific school buildings for the academic year. They are given training workshops and seminars throughout their field experience and are supervised by university faculty for evaluating their level of functioning and their progress. As candidates for the teaching profession, these interns are perceived as having the best training and the best experience, and they are given higher performance ratings by educators in comparison to the regular substitute teachers, the apprenticed teachers, or the student teachers. (Author)