Education Minnesota teacher apprenticeship program creates new pathway to classroom teaching
Education Minnesota teacher apprenticeship program creates new pathway to classroom teaching. Earlier this summer, Education Minnesota officially began a new apprenticeship program for elementary educators
Currently, the landscape for teacher apprenticeships is very segmented: if a district even has an apprenticeship program, it’s managed at the district level. This results in wildly different apprenticeship experiences from district to district, since larger districts with more resources have more capacity to develop a comprehensive program.
The new apprenticeship program aims to standardize training while providing a pathway to bring more teachers into the classroom. The program was created by the GroundUp Coalition, which is made up of Black Men Teach, CDF Freedom Schools, the Kitty Anderson Youth Science Center, Sankore Counseling, Bemidji State University and Education Minnesota.
Education Minnesota will be the primary sponsor of this program.
This apprenticeship program is similar to a residency program, but because it is implemented through the union, it provides more worker protections and benefits than residency. Under the program, participants work extended hours— they will work 37.5 hours as opposed to the usual 30-32 hours/ week for many paraprofessionals.
Apprentices also receive pay increases on top of their contractual pay increases every year of the program. Additionally, participants can become Tier III teachers and receive a bachelor’s degree within three years without going into debt.
The apprenticeship began with training in early June. Apprentices traveled to Knoxville, TN, to learn about Freedom Schools and the curriculum they would implement through the summer program. Once they returned, participants spent the next six weeks teaching classes in that program.
Angela Stewart, a paraprofessional in Robbinsdale, said that the curriculum has helped her strengthen her ability to plan lessons. “Having that has been helpful because I can branch off from it and add more,” she said. Stewart, who is working with level II students during the summer program, has added classroom events and activities for the students that go along with the lesson plan.
Kiyanna Thompson, a supervisory paraprofessional in the Hopkins school district, spoke about how the program provides an entry point for someone who didn’t excel in a traditional classroom setting. “I never thought I would be a teacher. I love learning, but I did not like a lot of the aspects of college,” she said.
Thompson said that the apprenticeship program allows her to obtain a degree in a way that works for her. “We get to learn on the job and while we have classes, it’s more group class and less sitting in a classroom listening to a lecture,” she said.
Stewart and Thompson both said that the program has been beneficial so far. Thompson said she was skeptical at first, but working with the students has helped her build confidence and work through some of her own nervousness. “I know that this is something I will be involved with for many years to come,” she said.
The apprenticeship program initially launched in Robbinsdale and Hopkins and includes 10 participants who are district employees. If it is successful, Education Minnesota will expand the program statewide and eventually include secondary education.
More information about the program will be available on Education Minnesota’s website soon.
