James September-October 2024 web - Flipbook - Page 79
E D U CAT I O N
EDUCATOR APPRENTICESHIPS
A New Way to Solve an Old Problem
BY M AT T H E W S M I T H
hile serving as 2022
State Teacher of the
Year, Cherie Goldman reflected, “Every year, Georgia is losing talented
teachers to burnout.” She highlighted
how teacher burnout results from
poor working conditions, inadequate
preparation, and the lack of professional growth opportunities.
Individuals suffer from burnout
when they exhaust the resources
that help them manage chronic
stress. They experience cynicism
and a sense that their efforts may be
in vain. Unfortunately, teachers experience burnout at rates much higher
than those in other fields.
During the pandemic, state and
district leaders worried that burnout
would accelerate teacher turnover.
Data reinforced this fear. One in ten
teachers retired or resigned from
their positions during the 2021-2022
school year, up from 6 percent in the
year prior to the pandemic.
Goldman convened the Teacher
Burnout Task Force in Winter 2022
to address the issue head-on. The
Task Force’s final report identified
a number of actions leaders could
take to stem the tide of teachers
leaving the classroom. One recommendation stood out. The Task
Force called on state, district and
school leaders to “define and provide support for teachers throughout
their professional careers— from
first-year teacher to teacher leader
and beyond.”
For state and district leaders,
addressing the causes of burnout
and teacher turnover begins with
tailoring recruitment and retention
strategies to the needs voiced by educators. Strengthening early-career
preparation and support is a crucial first step that will allow school
systems to develop more resilient
teacher talent strategies. The educator apprenticeship is an emerging
model that addresses the factors
that contribute to teacher turnover
and could prove promising. With
Georgia receiving a $4 million grant
in June 2024 to design a statewide
educator apprenticeship model, the
timing is perfect.
What Are Educator Apprenticeships?
The United States Department
of Labor approved the first educator
apprenticeship in January 2022. By
the end of 2023, over 30 states had at
least one registered apprenticeship.
While models vary from state to
state, five design elements are constant. Apprentices:
Complete a multi-year training program
Receive coaching and professional
learning from mentor teachers
Earn salaries while they learn
Are eligible for health and retirement
bene昀椀ts as school district employees
Earn bachelor’s degrees, usually without
taking on student loan debt
To initiate the development of
Georgia’s statewide apprenticeship,
the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) will partner with two
universities and three K-12 school
districts. After designing the program framework, GaDOE will serve
as a sponsor for school districts that
want to operate registered apprenticeship programs.
Operating under the GaDOE
banner will allow participating
systems to use federal Workforce
Investment Opportunity Act (WIOA)
dollars. Federal funding should
reduce the cost of operating apprenticeship programs.
What Groups Could Bene昀椀t
from Apprenticeships?
Other states have found success
focusing these educator apprenticeships on high school students, paraprofessionals, and career switchers
as potential apprentices. Georgia is
well-positioned to do the same.
GaDOE, for instance, operates
the “Teaching as a Profession” career
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