Overview

In 2022, the Tennessee Department of Education announced a new way to develop K-12 teacher pipelines through an apprenticeship model and was the first state to be approved by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) to establish a permanent “Grow Your Own model.”  The Teacher Occupation Apprenticeship program is extending the teacher pipeline and addressing teacher shortages.

The state model supports partnerships between Educator Preparation Providers (EPPs) and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to provide innovative, no-cost pathways to the teaching profession and build pipelines of qualified teachers and school district professionals. Work in Tennessee builds on the state's 65 existing Grow Your Own programs, which offer free opportunities to become a teacher.

The state’s first registered apprenticeship program began with Clarksville-Montgomery County School System and Austin Peay State University's Teacher Residency program. The Apprenticeship Model aligns leading practices in teacher preparation and development with the rigors and funding of the national registered apprenticeship process.

The Teacher Apprenticeship is a sustainably funded model to address the financial, recruitment, and preparation challenges school districts experience  in both the short- and long-term. While Tennessee’s Grow Your Own programs were funded via one-time relief funds, the Teacher Apprenticeship model leverages federal and state workforce dollars. This preserves locally designed programs and meets national apprenticeship standards. What this means in practice is school districts no longer receive one-time funding through competitive grants to participate in a Grow Your Own approach; now they have sustainable funding opportunities through federal and state workforce dollars for no-cost pathways and stronger programming in Tennessee’s Teacher .

Background

Enrollment in U.S. apprenticeship programs has increased 102 % in the last ten years. Apprenticeships in the education and healthcare sectors have increased 175%, to 91,805 apprentices preparing for these professions nationwide.

Registered Apprenticeships are a proven model of professional training that has been validated by either the USDOL or a State Apprenticeship Agency. The USDOL program ensure that Registered Apprenticeships meet national quality standards that are hallmarks for both employers and job-seeking apprentices.

Other States

With federal approval, other states or territories can apply to launch similar programs.

Chiefs for Change, a bipartisan network of state and district education leaders, is providing resources to help systems address widespread teacher shortages by replicating the Tennessee Department of Education’s registered teacher apprenticeship program.

References

https://www.tn.gov/education/grow-your-own.html

https://www.chiefsforchange.org/2022/06/30/chiefs-for-change-releases-resources-to-help-states-replicate-tennessees-registered-teacher-apprenticeship-program/https://www.tn.gov/education/grow-your-own.html

Tennessee Grow Your Own Center Webpage

Visit the Tennessee Grow Your Own Center Webpage

Grow Your Own Case Studies

Guides and Playbooks

Teacher Apprenticeship Program Application

Press Releases