To get more teachers, some states try a new mode of training them: apprenticeships, to earn while they learn

Lina Horton earned a bachelor’s degree without spending a dime
on tuition. (Photo by William DeShazer, The Washington Post)

Using apprenticeships to train workers began in the Middle Ages, but what is old can be made new again; states are using the model to train new teachers, reports Moriah Balingit of The Washington Post. Balingit met with a once aspiring educator, Lina Horton, who gave up her dream of teaching because of the cost of college and the need for a paycheck. "Horton is part of a grand experiment to see what happens when the apprenticeship model — used to train generations of plumbers, electricians and carpenters — is applied to teaching, allowing trainees to earn money while they learn their craft and earn their credentials. In exchange, many of the programs require graduates to commit to a certain number of years of service in high-needs schools."

The country's severe teacher shortage is worst in rural and poorer places, "forcing some schools to pare down classes, hire unqualified adults or put students in self-guided online courses," Balingit notes. "Teachers matter more for student achievement than any other aspect of schooling and can influence whether a child graduates high school, attends college and earns more as an adult. Interest in teaching is plummeting; a decline chalked up to low pay and deteriorating work conditions. . . . . But the popularity of the apprenticeship programs suggests there is an untapped talent pool: people who have the desire and the heart — but not the financial means — to become a teacher. . . . Teaching apprenticeships are getting a major boost from the Labor Department, which last year began offering them federal certification, a distinction that gives them access to millions in job-training funds. Over the last 17 months, programs in 16 states have been certified, including some poised to take on hundreds of trainees. . . . While debates rage over transgender student rights and the teaching of race and U.S. history, teacher apprenticeships are a rare education policy initiative that have bipartisan support."

The college-based apprenticeships, which lead to a degree, also have the added benefit of helping schools diversify their teaching staff. "By intentionally recruiting local candidates, districts have been able to build teaching candidate pools that better reflect the demographics of the community," Balingit adds. "They have also had success recruiting from the ranks of teacher assistants, who are more diverse than teachers. Tabitha Grossman of the National Center for Teacher Residencies said removing financial barriers has been key in recruiting more teachers of color."