The Kansas State Department of Education is taking applications through June 1 for districts seeking to participate in the new Registered Teacher Apprenticeship program in Fall 2024.

The program allows individuals to get paid while working full-time in a district as an apprentice teacher. The apprentice assists a licensed teacher of record. The participants earn a salary while also earning a bachelor’s degree at an accredited college or university teacher preparation program. Ten universities and six community colleges are currently participating in the program which is in its pilot year.

Shane Carter, Director of Teacher Licensure for the Kansas State Department of Education, says the new program is particularly suited to school districts working on “Grow Your Own” recruitment and retentions strategies. It allows them to target current staff, recent high school graduates, or community members without a bachelor’s degree who are interested in becoming teachers.

While districts could develop similar programs on their own, the registered teacher apprentice program allows the apprentice teacher to receive funding from the state to help cover college tuition, books, and materials during the program. Funding is also available for mentor teacher stipends and to cover the apprentice’s cost of licensure fees, background check, and testing.

An apprentice teacher is hired as an employee by a school district. They work under the guidance and supervision of a licensed teacher and mentor to learn and demonstrate teaching proficiencies. The minimum salary paid by the district is $14 per hour and must increase over the course of the apprenticeship as the employee gains and demonstrates higher skills and is given more responsibilities. At the end of the program the participants can be hired as a full-time licensed teacher. The program will typically require four years, like most bachelor’s degree programs.

“This program lets school leaders identify talent and interest that you already have and provide a way to earn a teaching degree without having to leave,” said Carter. The participating college must offer educational courses in a way that is accessible to individuals working full-time for the school district, including online delivery.

Although the term “apprentice” is often used in on-the-job training programs, “registered” apprentice programs must meet certain requirements under federal and state laws. In the registered teacher apprentice program, school districts are responsible for recruiting apprentice candidates, paying a salary as a W-2 employer, providing On-the-Job Learning (OJL) using competency-based learning, increasing both compensation and responsibilities as participants move through the program, and tracking and reporting apprenticeship progress to KSDE.

Community colleges and universities must deliver related instruction that is conducive to a full-time work schedule, including an online option. When successfully completed, a bachelor’s degree within the college or university’s teacher preparation program is conferred. Credit earned in two-year community colleges must transfer to four-year colleges. KSDE coordinates the program with state and federal agencies and issues the teaching license upon successful completion.

Carter says districts can supplement the teacher apprentice program by developing and supporting a high school Education and Training CTE Pathway and supporting dual and concurrent enrollment options for students to get a start on college courses in high school. The state is also exploring the creation of a youth-registered apprenticeship program in education, which would support paid work-based learning opportunities for high school students.

Program funding was provided by an appropriation from the State Legislature and the MeadowLARK (Leading Apprenticeship Results in Kansas) Initiative, funded by a federal grant through the Kansas Office of Apprenticeship. These funds are available to cover costs beyond assistance that apprentices may qualify for through Pell Grants, and scholarships may also be available from the Kansas Board of Regent and individual colleges.

The application submission window is open through June 1, 2024, for the Fall 2024 Cohort. Click here to access the Registered Teacher Apprenticeship web page.