Deans for Impact and the National Center for Grow Your Own Launch Teacher Apprenticeship Collaborative

AUSTIN, Texas (Nov. 14, 2023) – Today, educator-preparation leaders launched the National Registered Apprenticeship in Teaching Educator-Preparation Program Collaborative (EPP Collaborative), a community that will bring transparency and shared best practices to the educator-preparation sector. Deans for Impact (DFI) and the National Center for Grow Your Own (NCGYO) will co-lead the EPP Collaborative, which will:

• Build understanding of regulatory and financial considerations for launching and sustaining Registered Apprenticeships in teaching.
• Connect EPP leaders committed to designing, launching, scaling, and/or sustaining Registered Apprenticeships in teaching.
• Elevate stories of teaching and learning that highlight the diverse voices, perspectives, and experiences of EPPs across the country who are contributing to meaningful outcomes for students through Registered Apprenticeships for Teaching.

“Students deserve to have teachers who are prepared with the knowledge and skills to create rigorous, affirming learning experiences and who reflect the diversity of student identities and experiences,” said Valerie Sakimura, Executive Director of DFI. “Registered Apprenticeships can be a powerful tool to make this a reality, but only if approved programs are thoughtfully designed, with a focus on quality and the needs of the community.”

The NCGYO currently operates two Registered Apprenticeships collaboratives for state systems and school districts.

“The greatest barrier to scaling Registered Apprenticeship programs is not having enough high-quality, low-cost educator-preparation providers. That is why NCGYO is excited to partner with Deans for Impact on this initiative,” said David Donaldson, Founder of the National Center for Grow Your Own. “The members in this collaborative are leaders and innovators in their communities; I can’t wait to see them grow, learn from one another, and enter into partnerships with states and districts to prepare aspiring educators.”

To date, 32 programs representing 17 states have joined the Collaborative. These include Austin Peay State University and Dallas College, the first two federally-approved Registered-Apprenticeship Programs for K-12 Teachers, with more slated to join in the coming weeks.

As of November 14, the participating programs are:

• Austin Peay State University
• California Lutheran University
• Carson-Newman University
• Dakota State University
• Dallas College
• East Tennessee State University
• Jacksonville State University
• Limestone University
• Lipscomb University
• Louisiana Resource Center for Educators (LRCE)
• Loyola University Maryland
• Maryville College
• MathTrack Institute
• National Louis University
• North Carolina A&T State University
• Northeastern Illinois University
• Odessa College
• Pacific Oaks College
• Reach University
• Saint Louis University
• Salisbury University
• Sam Houston State University
• Tennessee Tech University
• Texas A&M University - Central Texas
• Texas Woman's University
• University of Missouri - St. Louis
• University of Alaska Fairbanks
• University of North Georgia
• University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
• Virginia State University
• Washington Education Association
• Western Carolina University

The Collaborative will host virtual community sessions that offer insight into regulatory requirements of apprenticeship programs; human and financial requirements (and impacts) of designing, launching, scaling, and sustaining programs; and stories and lessons learned from existing programs.

For more information and to request to join the EPP Collaborative, visit bit.ly/EPPCollaborative.

About Deans for Impact (DFI)
DFI is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to ensure every child is taught by well-prepared teachers. We support educator-preparation programs to bring the science of learning into teaching practice; partner with policymakers to ensure pathways into teaching are accessible, practice-based, and focused on instruction; and equip leaders with the tools to address today’s most pressing challenges in educator preparation. Guided by principles of cognitive science, we aim to help aspiring and early-career teachers create rigorous and inclusive classrooms where all children thrive. To learn more, visit deansforimpact.org.

About the National Center for Grow Your Own (NCGYO)
The National Center for Grow Your Own (NCGYO) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which provides technical assistance to states, local education agencies (school districts) and educator preparation providers that are interested in launching Grow Your Own (GYO) programs and registered apprenticeships for teachers and principals. Our goal is to create a world where you can become a teacher for free and get paid to do so. To learn more, visit ncgyo.org.

Media contact: 
Cece Zhou
czhou@deansforimpact.org
248-854-0630