California adding apprenticeships to teacher recruitment toolbox – By Diana Lambert, EdSource

Apprenticeships are being added to the long list of initiatives California has undertaken in recent years to address its enduring teacher shortage. State leaders hope that the free or reduced-priced tuition and steady salary that generally accompany apprenticeships will encourage more people to become teachers.

Apprentices complete their bachelor’s degree and a teacher preparation program while working as a member of the support staff at a school. They gain clinical experience at work while taking courses to earn their teaching credentials.

“It opens up the pipeline to teaching for folks who are hired into the school district,” said Joe Ross, president of Reach University, a nonprofit that operates a teacher apprenticeship program. “We have people at Reach who are in positions such as janitors, working in the lunchroom, working in the office. The majority are teacher’s aides, but you have this entirely larger, until now, really overlooked pool.”

California has joined 30 other states that have committed to launching registered teacher apprenticeship programs at the encouragement of the federal government. Last July, the Labor Department developed new national guidelines and standards for registered apprenticeship programs for K-12 teachers and provided funding to develop and expand programs. Twenty states have already started registered teacher apprenticeship programs.

Sweeping bill would expand childcare and early childhood education in Kentucky – By Bruce Schreiner, Associated Press

Republican Sen. Danny Carroll unveiled sweeping legislation on Tuesday that’s meant to shore up and expand the network of childcare centers across the Bluegrass State. Another objective is to bolster early childhood education, he said. One long-term goal, he said, is to someday make terms like “childcare” and “daycare” obsolete, replaced by early childhood education — no matter the setting or age of the child.

Carroll is proposing that the state pump $150 million per year into his bill’s childcare initiatives in the next two-year budget cycle, which begins July 1. The Republican-dominated legislature will put its finishing touches on the next state spending plan sometime next month.

“This is a time that Kentucky needs to step up and be a shining example for the rest of the country, and we will reap the benefits of that if we make that decision,” Carroll said at a news conference.

The bill comes amid uncertain times for childcare providers and parents. The $24 billion of pandemic aid that Congress passed in 2021 for childcare businesses is drying up. Republican state lawmakers across the country have responded by embracing plans to support child care.

Alabama working on $15,000 stipends for certain school administrators – By Tricia Powell Crain, AL.com

Alabama’s school principals could receive as much as a $15,000 stipend during the coming school year if they show they are boosting student outcomes.

The new program is the result of a 2023 law that is now taking effect. It aims to help principals improve their strategy and management in ways that lead to results for students.

The state has 1,450 public school principals. According to data on the state’s 2023 federal report card, one in three principals statewide had two or fewer years of experience in the job.

“That measure is a part of why [the program] is needed,” said Vic Wilson, who leads the state’s association for school leaders. He supports the program.

New course partners with community colleges to address shortage of career and tech-ed teachers – By Hannah Habermann, Wyoming Public Radio

Conversations around the state’s energy future often focus on opportunities for job development in sectors like wind, coal and nuclear. But what happens when there aren’t enough people to teach skills like construction or welding in the first place?

This semester, the University of Wyoming launched a new course to try and address a shortage of career and technical education (CTE) teachers in the state. The introductory program is a collaboration with seven community colleges throughout the state and gives students a peek into the world of teaching those hands-on skills to high schoolers.

Dr. Jenna Shim, interim Dean at UW’s College of Education, said more CTE teachers will lead to more skilled trade workers, which will in turn create a big ripple effect throughout Wyoming.

“We’re supporting CTE conditions in which Wyoming citizens can find fulfilling careers, stay in the state, and support and enhance local businesses and industries in meeting their workforce needs,” she said.