Melanie Asmar at Chalkbeat reports about 100 Apprentices are enrolled in the State of Colorado’s new Teacher Degree Apprenticeship Program. Created by a 2023 State law, the program combines college classes with on-the-job training to provide adults without a Bachelor’s Degree a pathway to becoming a licensed teacher. It’s a creative solution to a perennial problem. Colorado had about 2,800 vacant teaching positions at the start of the last school year, according to data from the Colorado Department of Education. While many were filled by long-term substitutes, retired Educators and Teachers with alternative licenses, who already have Bachelor’s Degrees in something other than education, nearly 600 positions went unfilled all year long. More States are adopting Apprenticeship Programs to help fill the gap and some local school districts have started Apprenticeship Programs of their own. The Apprenticeships are also working to attract more candidates of color, more bilingual candidates and more candidates who live in the community, offering solutions to some of the profession’s biggest hiring challenges.

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