California Launches First Teacher Apprenticeship Program

California is launching its first registered teacher apprenticeship program this fall, offering aspiring educators a paid path to credentials amid persistent shortages and reliance on underprepared staff in high-need areas like the Central Valley.

The program, set to begin with small cohorts such as eight students in Tulare and Santa Clara counties, allows participants to earn wages, including as substitute teachers, while completing training. It builds on recent expansions in teacher residencies and grants aimed at easing the financial barriers to entering the profession. Credentialing costs exceed $30,000 on top of a bachelor's degree, plus at least 600 often-unpaid classroom hours, leaving many teachers in debt despite starting salaries around $63,000 annually.

Mary Vixie Sandy, executive director of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, highlighted the challenges during a state hearing last month. "More teachers are entering the profession, but too many are leaving," she said, noting continued use of emergency permits and substitutes. Last academic year, nearly 16,000 teachers, or 5 percent of the workforce, entered classrooms underprepared, up from prior years...