By Adam Vitcavage
Across Colorado, school districts are taking bold steps to tackle the teacher shortage, one of the most pressing challenges in education today. One of the most promising solutions gaining traction is the Teacher Degree Apprenticeship program, overseen by the Colorado Department of Education in collaboration with the Office of Future Work’s Apprenticeship Colorado. The innovative approach that enables paraprofessionals and adults in long-term classroom roles to earn their teaching degrees while remaining in their current positions.
District leaders from Fort Morgan School District RE-3, Bayfield School District, and Garfield School District Re-2 are leading the charge with this program, and they’ve seen firsthand how it’s making a significant difference in recruitment, retention, and workforce diversity. Here’s why other districts should consider this game-changing opportunity.
Jen Kral, from Fort Morgan School District RE-3, understands the urgency of addressing the teacher shortage while focusing on retention and workforce diversity. “We’re facing a teacher shortage, and I’m passionate about recruitment, preparation, and retention of teachers,” Jen explains. For Fort Morgan, this meant not just recruiting new teachers but also developing pathways for current paraprofessionals to become licensed educators.
The district started by identifying teachers working outside their fields to fill high-needs positions that they struggled to fill. Jen explains, “We found that many of our potential candidates were people of color, and that was a fantastic opportunity for us to diversify our workforce.” With 65% of their student population being Hispanic, the program helps Fort Morgan attract more teachers from diverse backgrounds, reflecting the community they serve.
For Jen, the impact has been clear. “For the first time, we were fully staffed in August or September. We’ve been intentional with our efforts, and it’s paying off,” she says. The long-term vision for Fort Morgan is to grow their own teachers, especially in high-demand subjects like math and science. “We want to make sure we’re offering the professional development that supports all students, including our linguistically diverse learners,” Jen adds. The apprenticeship model is helping them meet both staffing needs and diversify the workforce in ways that were previously unattainable.
In Bayfield School District, Sam Hogue points to the key advantage of the Teacher Degree Apprenticeship program: flexibility. “We have a lot of paraprofessionals who work with our high-needs students, and being able to offer them a flexible opportunity to continue their schooling was the driving force behind this program,” Sam explains. Many of Bayfield’s paraprofessionals would have to quit their full-time jobs to pursue a degree, but the apprenticeship model allows them to “earn while they learn,” which benefits both the district and the apprentices.
Looking ahead, Bayfield plans to expand the program into a “grow your own” model, targeting high school students interested in pursuing teaching careers. “We want to offer this to all paraprofessionals who are interested, and eventually extend it to high schoolers who want to pursue teaching,” says Sam. The district is also working on finding mentors for the apprentices—an ongoing challenge. “We already have a district-wide mentorship program, but finding mentors who aren’t already stretched thin is a challenge,” Sam acknowledges. Despite this, the district has successfully enlisted veteran teachers to support the apprentices.
For Bayfield, this apprenticeship program is more than just a solution to the teacher shortage. It’s part of a long-term strategy to cultivate future educators from within their own community. “This is a solution that allows people who have proven themselves in the district to grow their careers and stay with us long-term,” Sam concludes.
Devon Spaulding, from Garfield School District Re-2, faces unique challenges in rural western Colorado. “We live in an area between major resort towns like Aspen and Vail, where the cost of living is on the rise, and housing is very expensive,” Devon shares. These challenges make it difficult to attract teachers to the area.
The Teacher Degree Apprenticeship program has helped Garfield meet this challenge by allowing the district to develop teachers from within the community. “The apprenticeship program allows us to develop teachers from within the community and provide them with a career pathway without forcing them to leave their jobs or relocate,” Devon explains. This model is crucial in rural areas like Garfield, where teacher retention is a persistent issue, and relocating is often not an option for many prospective teachers.
Garfield is using the program to grow its own teachers in specialized fields like STEM. Devon notes, “In a rural district, it’s crucial to build our own teaching workforce and retain them long-term. This model gives us a way to do that.” The district is also ensuring that apprentices gain not just on-the-job experience but also the academic knowledge needed to succeed. “This model allows us to balance real-world experience with the content knowledge teachers need,” Devon adds.
The success stories from Fort Morgan School District RE-3, Bayfield School District, and Garfield School District Re-2 highlight how the Teacher Degree Apprenticeship program is not only addressing teacher shortages but also helping districts to grow their own teachers, diversify their workforce, and offer valuable career advancement opportunities to paraprofessionals. The flexibility, affordability, and support offered by this program make it a powerful solution for districts facing recruitment and retention challenges.
As we look to the future of education, districts across the nation should consider adopting similar programs to build a more sustainable, equitable, and effective teaching workforce. Whether in urban, suburban, or rural settings, the Teacher Degree Apprenticeship program has the potential to revolutionize how we approach teacher preparation.
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Ready to learn more about how your district can benefit from the Teacher Degree Apprenticeship program? Contact MK Sagaria-Barritt from CareerWise today to explore how we can help create a sustainable teaching workforce in your community.
