The state Department of Education (DOE) recently announced the award of $800,000 to launch the New Jersey Teacher Apprenticeship Program, an initiative to support the pipeline of classroom aides and paraprofessionals who want to become certificated teachers.
Through the program, Ramapo College and Rutgers University in New Brunswick each will receive $400,000 in grant funding to collectively partner with eight school districts, jointure commissions, and special services school districts. Staff from DOE and Department of Labor Education and Labor & Workforce Development will work with Ramapo and Rutgers to visit the school districts and provide oversight and support for the apprenticeships.
The grants will support programs designed to streamline a pathway for full-time educational support professionals – including paraprofessionals and instructional aides working in the classroom – to earn their teaching certificate. Funding will be used to offset the costs associated with tuition, books and materials, mentorships, and structured on-the-job training.
Paraprofessionals taking part in the program can typically earn their state teaching certification in two to four years, depending on their level of experience and education when beginning the program. The program targets fields disproportionately impacted by staff shortages, such as special education, science, math, English and a second language, and bilingual education.
Ramapo will partner with the Bergen County Special Services School District, which offers specialized education programs for students with learning needs and behavioral challenges, as well as the Morris-Union Jointure Commission, a regional collaborative school district providing services to 30 constituent school districts.
Rutgers will partner with the Bound Brook School District; the Camden County Educational Services Commission, which provides services to districts in the region, including paraprofessional services; College Achieve Paterson Charter Schools; iLearn Schools, which operates four charter schools in New Jersey; New Brunswick Public Schools; and the Roselle Public School District.
The New Jersey Teacher Apprenticeship Program is based on initial recommendations of the Task Force on Public School Staff Shortages in New Jersey, which was established to recommend strategies to increase the number of K-12 teachers and support staff.
