The experiences K-12 offers student teachers are a quality hodgepodge, too few people can afford to enter teaching, and students need results right now.
States and school systems should add residencies or apprenticeships that prepare aspiring teachers to teach with excellence as they contribute immediately to high-growth student learning—while earning full pay funded within regular school budgets.
Key elements:
1) Embed aspiring teachers on teacher-led teams. Well-designed teacher-led teams can boost student learning growth substantially—in schools we’ve served, for example, doubling the percentage of teachers who produce high-growth learning. Aspiring teachers can learn alongside more-experienced teammates, in roles that get results right away. Teacher-leaders must be selectively chosen for prior high growth student learning or an equivalent measure, with authority to lead and coach their teams.
2) Give residents real jobs contributing to high-growth learning immediately. Residents in regular roles on teacher-led teams learn how to produce high-growth learning, and, unlike standard student teaching spots, do not pull team leaders away from leading the entire team (a mistake we have seen repeatedly). Using real jobs means that many schools will have paid spots each year. Teaching assistant vacancies can be filled with residents finishing their bachelor’s degrees. Teacher vacancies can be filled with supervised alt-cert candidates seeking certification. All residents should help produce student learning right away by teaching and tutoring small groups with the teaching team leader’s lessons, a proven results-booster.
3) Pay full salaries and benefits. When residents have real jobs on teacher-led teams, funding for pay and benefits is already part of school budgets for new- teacher or teaching assistant roles. Grants for roles and pay aren’t necessary, or even desirable, because they make roles and pay temporary. Special funds for residencies and apprenticeships can instead cover resident tuition and fees, or loan repayments.
It’s a win all around when teacher-leaders earn more, within regular budgets, as they do in Opportunity Culture® models, where teacher-leaders earn more than 20% extra, on average.
Not another year should pass without making these shifts. Which state will go first to get it right statewide?
Examples of districts with residencies and apprenticeships like this, among many, include Ector County ISD, Midland ISD, and Uplift Education.
Learn more about these districts:
Watch
Opportunity Culture® Teacher Residencies
Audriana Munoz on Being a Teacher Resident
Listen
Reset for Success: How Midland ISD Revamped Teaching Teams for Results