Research tells us that teachers who receive extensive clinical student teaching in their education preparation programs (EPP) are more effective than those prepared through alternative or “fast-track” routes–and they stay in the profession longer. But robust EPPs that provide opportunities for student teaching are too often out of financial reach, with aspiring teachers accruing debt that can be difficult to repay on a teacher’s salary.

K-12 Teacher Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs present a promising strategy for teacher recruitment and retention that prioritizes affordability through an “earn and learn” model. Aspiring teachers receive progressive wages from a district employer while participating in extensive classroom-based practice with support from an experienced teacher mentor. This report takes a deep dive into the funding structure for five K-12 Teacher RA programs:

  • Indiana’s Cardinal Pathways to Teaching,
  • New York’s Classroom Academy,
  • Texas’ enrichED Pathways,
  • New Hampshire’s National Collaborative for Digital Equity’s (NCDE’s) Registered Apprenticeship Program (NH REAP), and
  • the Tennessee Grow Your Own Center (TNGYOC)

Informed by interviews with program leaders, the report synthesizes themes across the programs that can help education leaders understand the range of approaches to RA program funding.

This report is part of the Educator Registered Apprenticeship (ERA) Intermediary project, funded by the Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration, and designed to develop and implement financially sustainable educator apprenticeship programs.