AACTE Joins Education, Labor Departments in Release of National Guideline Standards for Teaching Apprenticeships

(July 27, 2023, Washington, DC) – AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education) President and CEO Lynn M. Gangone, Ed.D., CAE, represented the association alongside state and national leaders to unveil the National Guideline Standards (NGS) for K-12 Teaching Apprenticeships released today at a briefing hosted by the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Labor.

Federal, state, and local workforce and education leaders gathered to set a benchmark for high-quality teaching apprenticeship programs in August 2022. This initiative, launched by First Lady Dr. Jill Biden at the White House in collaboration with the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor, tasked leaders to develop comprehensive guidelines for high-quality educator apprenticeships. One year later, at today’s event, the Department of Labor announced the approval of the NGS, the culmination of an effort led by the Pathways Alliance through a working group co-chaired by Jacqueline King, Ph.D., of AACTE and representatives from Deans for Impact and National Center for Grow Your Own. These guidelines are a framework for states creating a registered apprenticeship program for K-12 teachers, outlining the requirements and responsibilities apprenticeship programs must fulfill.

“I was pleased to co-chair the working group that produced these guidelines. Our goals were to establish clear guidance regarding essential elements of high-quality teacher apprenticeship programs and to streamline the application process for teacher preparation programs and their partners who wish to establish registered apprenticeships,” said King. “I am grateful to my co-chairs, the working group members, the Pathways Alliance, and the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education for their partnership in this work.”

At today’s briefing, Gangone spoke on a panel moderated by Roberto Rodriguez, Department of Education assistant secretary for planning, evaluation, and policy development, and composed of other national, state, and local education leaders. In her remarks she described the support of the federal government, alongside educational partners, state education agencies, and local education agencies as “an unbeatable combination.”

“AACTE is proud to be one of the leading organizations in developing the national guideline standards for teaching apprenticeships. Having the deep participation of our colleges of education and programs of teacher education in this work is essential to ensuring high-quality teaching apprenticeships,” said Gangone. “I am grateful to the Departments of Education and Labor, as well as First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, for prioritizing the educator workforce and the teaching apprenticeships that will assist in growing the pipeline of highly qualified teachers.”

Review the National Guidelines for Apprenticeship Standards for K-12 Teaching Apprenticeships at thepathwaysalliance.org/reports. AACTE partnered with Pathways Alliance to produce an introduction to the NGS for educator preparation programs that is available at aacte.org.

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About AACTE

Established in 1948, AACTE is the leading voice in educator preparation. AACTE’s member institutions and programs prepare the greatest number of professional educators in the United States and its territories, including teachers, counselors, administrators, and college faculty. These professional educators are prepared for careers in PK-12 classrooms, colleges and universities, state and governmental agencies, policy institutes, and non-profit organizations. The AACTE alliance of colleges and universities and educator preparation programs collaborates with members and partners to advance the field of education by prioritizing diversity, equity and inclusion, and engaging in research-based inquiry, advocacy, and innovative practice. Learn more at aacte.org.