By VOICE & VIEWPOINT NEWSWIRE
The U.S. Departments of Education and Labor announced a series of new efforts to expand Registered Apprenticeships for educators and invest in teacher preparation programs last month.
These efforts advance a key focus area of the Department of Education’s Raise the Bar: Lead the World initiative to boldly improve learning conditions by eliminating educator shortages and build on a joint letter sent by the Secretaries of Education and Labor last summer, which called on state education and workforce leaders to take action to address educator shortages.
“The Department of Labor’s investments will enable states to strengthen educator pipelines and create pathways to opportunity through a proven earn-as-you-learn model of Registered Apprenticeships,” said Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “This important partnership with the U.S. Department of Education advances the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government approach to building a highly-skilled, diverse workforce that is reflective of the communities that teachers serve.”
The newly released National Guidelines for Apprenticeship Standards (NGS) for Registered Apprenticeships for K-12 teachers was developed by The Pathways Alliance and approved by the Department of Labor. The NGS can guide states, school districts, and other apprenticeship sponsors to align their programs to quality standards for K-12 teachers.
The Department of Education also released a policy brief, Raise the Bar: Eliminating Educator Shortages through Increased Compensation, High-Quality and Affordable Preparation and Teacher Leadership, that highlights how states nationwide are taking strategic steps outlined by the Biden-Harris Administration to support the effective recruitment, preparation, and retention of teachers.
The Department of Education announced new awards totaling more than $27 million to support these efforts, including $14.5 million in Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) grants and $12.7 million in Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) funds, enabling recipients to develop, expand, and evaluate practices that can serve as models for current teachers.
Eighteen states have participated in a learning series led by the Department of Education that is supporting state education, educator preparation, and labor organization leaders in planning, designing, and implementing teacher Registered Apprenticeship Programs for K-12 teachers as a long-term strategy for strengthening and diversifying the teacher workforce.
The Department of Labor also announced the award of over $65 million in formula and competitive grants to 45 states and territories to develop and scale registered apprenticeship programs in education and other critical sectors.
Visit ed.gov and apprenticeship.gov for more information.
