Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Teacher Workforce topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tri‑agency teacher apprenticeship pilot offers paid year‑long residency; Southeastern, Tangipahoa lead pilot
Summary
Board received an update on a tri‑agency pilot that pays senior teacher candidates during the year‑long residency and matches each apprentice with a mentor teacher and university supervisor.
Board members received a briefing on a tri‑agency teacher apprenticeship initiative coordinated by the Board of Regents, the state Department of Education and the Louisiana Workforce Commission.
Agency presenters described a pilot with Southeastern and Tangipahoa Parish School System that converts the required year‑long residency into a paid apprenticeship, with apprentices paid at paraprofessional pay and supervised by both a certified mentor teacher and a university supervising faculty member. “They have gone through their freshman, sophomore, and junior years, and then when they get ready to go into their residency, they're getting paid the price of a para…they have insurance, they have retirement,” said Doctor Calderon, who presented the pilot details.
Presenters said supervision follows the Louisiana Aspiring Educator Rubric (LAER) and university supervisors must meet SACSCOC hiring criteria. “Supervising faculty has to meet all SACSCOC requirements to be hired at a university…Those who are supervising our post‑baccalaureate interns all have doctoral degrees,” a presenter said.
Board members asked about scale, funding and retention. Presenters said the pilot started with a small number of apprentices this semester (“I think it starts starting off with 5,” one presenter said) and that agencies have submitted a federal grant application for $3 million to support expansion. The presenters also said local school systems may fund apprenticeships directly and that some employers require multi‑year commitments from candidates after the paid residency.
Panelists cited other sectors and out‑of‑state models—nursing and Texas apprenticeships—as precedents and said research shows paid residencies with mentoring improve teacher retention and preparedness. The board asked agencies to provide progress updates; presenters said they expect to return with an update in December.
The board voted to receive the informational update on the tri‑agency teacher apprenticeship initiative; a motion was made, seconded and recorded with no exceptions.
