Tennessee Tech will use a new state grant to launch a new teacher apprenticeship program, giving school system employees a transition path into licensed teaching roles.
Tennessee Tech Professor Jeremy Wendt said the funding provides nine apprenticeship opportunities for five partner districts including Putnam and DeKalb County Schools. Wendt said the initiative targets individuals who lacked the means to complete a university degree.
“It pays for all of the tuition and typically books and other expenses are covered also,” Wendt said, “And so it just enables those people who have that level of experience or years of time in the school system to be able to make that jump into the classroom as a licensed teacher..”
Wendt said participants remain on the school system payroll while completing their requirements over a two-year period. Wendt said the model allows assistants to continue their daily duties while training alongside highly qualified teachers in a residency format.
“And so they’ll be on the job learning to teach because it does look different when you make the move from support personnel to a teaching role,” Wendt said. “And so they’ll be learning while they’re still on the payroll.”
The program utilizes an online coursework structure paired with in-person evaluations from university supervisors. Wendt said this just-in-time learning model ensures that the majority of the instructional time occurs directly within the classroom setting with students.
“One of the perks to this is that we cover 100 percent of the tuition,” Wendt said. “And so by all the tuition being covered and typically the districts will cover some of the textbooks or Praxis exams, the licensure exams that they have to take.”
State guidelines require that participants spend less than one percent of the total program cost out of their own pockets. Wendt said the goal is for educators to exit the program with zero debt and a permanent position in a familiar environment.
“And so it does help especially with retaining teachers because they have been in the school, they know the climate, they know the customs, and have a much better time, easier time staying in the school when they’re employed,” Wendt said.
School districts and principals identify specific employees for the program before Tennessee Tech begins the university admission process. Wendt said the university is working to be innovative to ensure local districts have qualified, licensed teachers in every classroom to prevent vacancies.
“But the state has opened it up to multiple universities and so this will be our first round of this particular type of grant and this particular type of license in the Upper Cumberland,” Wendt said.
Wendt said he anticipates the state will provide additional funding for future cohorts beyond this initial one-time grant.
