MNU is part of a burgeoning national effort to interest, educate, and retain schoolteachers through an apprenticeship program for aspiring teachers. Now, para educators in participating districts can stay in their jobs while earning a bachelor’s degree and teaching license online. Dr. Jill Gonzalez-Bravo, associate dean of the School of Education, served on a state committee to develop the Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Model and is excited to have the Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education Unified (EEU) program selected to be part of this innovative effort.
School districts can identify and invest in current employees through the apprenticeship model and essentially promote them to their teaching ranks from within. According to Gonzalez-Bravo, the EEU program targets two licensure areas with a nationwide shortage of teachers: elementary and special education.
“MNU’s EEU program is a great fit for districts’ ‘grow-your-own’ initiatives. Because our program is online, para educators can keep their jobs while fulfilling the required course work and clinical requirements.” Gonzales-Bravo says. “Tuition assistance from the para’s school district will greatly lower the cost of a degree.”
The State of Kansas and the U.S. Department of Labor have provided significant funding for the Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Model. It is part of an overall effort to increase the workforce in various essential industries in Kansas and nationwide.
According to the Kansas Department of Education website, apprentices will have a mentor teacher as a guide and model throughout the program. This structure provides an authentic learning experience, allowing the apprentice to observe experienced educators and collaborate with colleagues within the school culture. This gradual release model enables the candidate to take on more responsibilities as they progress through the EEU program, and the intentional design allows candidates to apply coursework to the classroom immediately.
The apprenticeship program is for students who have been or are currently para educators because it is a competency-based program that builds on their previous classroom experience. MNU’s program includes coursework and the competencies the state says are essential for teachers. Students will create a portfolio throughout the program, gathering artifacts to illustrate those competencies. Graduates will meet all state licensing requirements and be eligible to teach in an elementary general or special education classroom at the program’s conclusion.
MNU graduate Mikayla Ussery said the EEU program provided flexibility and support.
“I was able to continue to work as a para educator as well as a substitute teacher all while taking the classes to get my degree,” Mikayla says. “I was able to build positive relationships with my professors and other students who helped me progress through the program and who continue to support me. Without the MNU EEU program, I would not be where I am today.”
The EEU program is not only for para educators. Leading to an elementary education unified endorsement to teach in elementary or special education K-6th grade, the program is accelerated for students with an associate’s degree or 60 plus college credits.
Tabitha Pestock is an elementary teacher in Lawrence, Kansas who completed her degree through MNU’s EEU program. She credits the program as an efficient means to reach her professional goals.
“I wanted to be an educator for a long time and finding MNU’s EEU program allowed me to get into my own classroom faster than a traditional program would have,” Tabitha says. “I learned from professionals who have ‘been there, done that.’ I was able to make connections with other soon-to-be professionals and I still maintain that contact today. I enjoyed my time at MNU and look forward to a master’s program; MNU is my top choice.
