Apprenticeship programs are often associated with the construction industry, healthcare, and technology. However, as the nation grapples with an escalating teacher shortage, some school districts are turning to the familiar model to build a pipeline of prepared educators who learn alongside other teachers while earning a paycheck.
As National Apprenticeship Week marks its 10th anniversary of raising awareness of the role Registered Apprenticeships provide in creating opportunities like these, Houston Endowment is shining a light on promising partnerships between school districts and universities that are urgently working toward a long-term solution. Registered apprenticeships, like an Endowment-supported paid residency in Brazosport ISD featured by the Texas Tribune, provide on-the-job training and tuition assistance to help aspiring teachers from a variety of backgrounds enter the profession.
Long-term solutions to the teacher workforce crisis are urgently needed in Texas as the number of well-prepared, certified teachers has plummeted, with more than half of new, first-time teachers entering the classroom without a teaching certificate, according to new research conducted by the University of Texas. The widespread employment of uncertified teachers as a short-term fix exacerbates student learning loss, with studies showing that students taught by uncertified teachers can fall behind by up to four months. As the overall tenure of teachers has dropped from 15 to 5 years, non-certified teachers are more likely than those with traditional, out-of-state, or alternative certification to leave the classroom between years 1 and 5.
Meanwhile, the Houston region’s demand for teachers is the highest in the state at 77,000 teachers—more than are employed in the state of Tennessee.
“The problem isn’t just the number of teachers leaving the profession—there’s is not enough of a pipeline to replace them,” said Houston Endowment Program Officer Carlos Villagrana. “People interested in becoming teachers often lack a clear pathway to a job, not to mention the training and support needed to succeed once they get there. Registered apprenticeship programs remove barriers for aspiring teachers by providing a paycheck while getting on-the-job training. Their first day as a teacher of record will not be their first day teaching a classroom.”
Houston Endowment’s Effective Educators portfolio focuses on the gap between demand and supply, aiming to increase the number of certified teachers and teacher candidates entering the profession while working with districts to better support teachers. Priority projects include:
- Supporting the creation of new, high-quality teacher training seats at traditional Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs), including traditional 4-year colleges and community colleges. These programs offer more effective, efficient pathways for being certified. Additionally, the EPPs will work with districts to get their new, uncertified teachers certified.
- Helping districts with their teacher workforce strategy by connecting them to technical assistance partners for strategic planning around teacher recruitment, support, compensation, and professional advancement.
- Bringing Educator Preparation Programs and school districts together in mutually beneficial partnerships to coordinate training and certification.
In 2023, Houston Endowment supported a partnership between Brazosport ISD, Brazosport College, and Educator Preparation Programs to launch a Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP). The program helps aspiring teachers earn a bachelor’s degree, teacher certification, or both at no cost if they agree to work in the district for at least three years. Participants in the paid residency then work alongside a teacher-mentor for a full school year before having their own classroom.
Programs like Brazosport’s are funded through a combination of the school district’s budget, grants, and local partnerships.
National Apprenticeship Week was established by the U.S. Department of Labor to showcase high-quality, inclusive, in-demand career pathway opportunities through Registered Apprenticeship programs.