Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program to Address Statewide Teacher Shortage
As the statewide teacher shortage continues to impact education, Kansas students, parents and teachers await a sustainable, long-term solution. Although 262 Kansas teaching vacancies were filled between Fall 2022 and Spring 2023, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) estimates that the total number of vacancies remains at over 1,600 unfilled teaching positions across Kansas.
Thankfully, in May 2022, KSDE began developing a program to address the economic barriers keeping some Kansans from the training and experience needed to become teachers. Now — just a little over a year later and in collaboration with stakeholders — the Office of Teacher Licensure has established the Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program, adding a new career path to the state’s existing selection of registered apprenticeship opportunities.
According to Shane Carter, director of teacher licensure, the program aims “to establish a cost-free opportunity for individuals that want to get into the teaching profession.” The requirements for becoming a licensed teacher in Kansas have remained the same, but the program will provide apprentices with a more accessible way of achieving those requirements via on-the-job training and asynchronous instruction from a partner university.
The apprenticeship program will prioritize first-generation college students and working paraeducators who attend or are employed in districts with higher teaching vacancies. As apprentices establish relationships with these schools, they will have better opportunities to return to those districts post-graduation and fill their open teaching positions.
Thanks to the program’s approval in Kansas House Bill 2292, the Office of Teacher Licensure has been collaborating with partners in school districts, higher education and other educational organizations to jump-start a pilot program for the upcoming 2023-24 school year.
The Pilot Program
Although attendance may fluctuate, the pilot plans to include up to 18 participants across eight different Kansas school districts. By starting on a smaller scale, the Office of Teacher Licensure can monitor and adjust the program’s structure to ensure a successful statewide rollout for the 2024-25 school year.
Apprentices will gain paid in-classroom experience alongside a mentor teacher while they receive technical instruction via online university courses. Rather than four years of instruction with an additional 16 weeks of student teaching, registered teacher apprentices will experience value-added, on-the job training as they complete their coursework.
The program will partner with Wichita State University for the pilot. Carter is pursuing more partnerships to accommodate more apprenticeships. “We're going to start working with other universities and determine who wants to participate. … I have had conversations with additional universities that are ready and want this opportunity,” Carter said.
Looking Ahead
The current program serves adults, but the Office of Teacher Licensure is also looking into a youth apprenticeship program for high school students who are interested in teaching. The youth program would provide opportunities for the next generation of teachers to gain valuable experience during high school while earning college credit. Stay tuned for more information.
When the adult program opens statewide next year, Carter hopes it can serve 50 apprentices per cohort. Assuming each apprentice is guaranteed up to four years of involvement, the program could foster up to 200 apprentices at a time, providing a wider avenue for promising educators who might not think they can afford university-level training.
Although the program is not yet open for applications for the 2024-25 schoolyear, Carter recommends keeping an eye out for updates.
“Over the next few months, we will be releasing more information about how the pilot’s going to change,” Carter said.
If you know students or paraeducators with an enthusiasm for teaching, Carter suggests advising them to let their district know of their interest, so they do not miss out on apprenticeship opportunities.