GCCC Partners with KSDE for Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program
[Garden City, KS] February 9, 2024 – Garden City Community College has partnered with the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) to offer the education component of the Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program serving all of western Kansas. KSDE is offering financial support to allow prospective teachers to work as apprentices within a school district while completing their degree. With the shortage of teachers across the state, this program is designed to offer a pathway for school districts to enhance the skills of their employees and grow their own teaching staff from within.
The Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program combines the rigor and training of a registered apprenticeship with specialized education for individuals who want to become teachers. During the four-year program, the aspiring teacher works alongside an experienced educator, serving as a paid apprentice in a real classroom setting while earning an associate degree fully online in Elementary Education at Garden City Community College. Once they complete GCCC's program, they continue at a participating four-year institution to finish their bachelor's degree.
A teacher apprentice is employed by the school district and participates in lesson planning, curriculum development, instruction delivery, and student assessments under the guidance of a paid mentor teacher. A mentor teacher serves as a guide and role model for the apprentice throughout the program. This allows the apprentice to observe experienced educators in action and collaborate and learn from colleagues. Gradually, the apprentice takes on more responsibilities as they progress through the program.
For more information on the program, contact Layla Martinez, GCCC Education Assistant Professor, at 620-275-3235 or layla.martinez@gcccks.edu.
--
Garden City Community College exists to produce positive contributors to the economic and social well-being of society.