Since Tennessee launched the first teacher apprenticeship program four years ago, such programs have flourished across the United States. To date, all 50 states have registered teacher apprenticeship programs with the U.S. Department of Labor. According to Amaya Garcia, director of pre-K through 12th grade research and practice at New America's education policy program, 44 states and Washington, D.C., have implemented programs that help apprentices earn teaching degrees.

A New America report co-authored by Garcia, released this month, shows that the education sector has become the leading career field for degree-based apprenticeships in the United States, with nursing ranking second. The report notes that teacher apprenticeship programs—which train aspiring teachers in the classroom while enabling them to earn teaching credentials or degrees—have "truly exploded" in recent years. Garcia said that when these programs launched around 2022, federal COVID-19 recovery funds were still available for education, including addressing teacher shortages.

Additionally, then-U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona was "extremely enthusiastic" about registered teacher apprenticeships and "basically told every state, 'You should do this.'" Garcia noted that the Biden administration worked with the Department of Labor to prioritize apprenticeship grants for teaching programs. She described this period as a policy window, "where people rushed in because there was funding, there was momentum, and there was a lot of technical support."

Evidence of removing barriers

Garcia pointed out that program sponsors, when launching teacher apprenticeships, often emphasize that their design aims to remove financial barriers for community members who aspire to become teachers but cannot afford a bachelor's degree in education. Her research shows encouraging evidence that these programs have not abandoned this goal.

For example, the report's analysis of federal data found that 63% of teacher apprentices do not have a bachelor's degree but are working toward one. According to the New America report, most teacher apprentices are nontraditional students, aged 25 to 54. Garcia said: "The fact that most don't have a bachelor's degree suggests there's an untapped talent pool of people who are interested in becoming teachers. So this program essentially provides the support and incentive they need to take that step."

Garcia also pointed to another signal that teacher apprenticeship programs are improving access to the profession: her research shows that the racial diversity of K-12 teacher apprentices is higher than that of the current teaching workforce. In fiscal year 2026, 19% of teacher apprentices were Hispanic, compared to 9% of teachers in the 2020-21 school year; meanwhile, 18% of teacher apprentices were Black, compared to 6% of teachers in the 2020-21 school year.

Effectiveness of teacher retention measures

Beyond the New America report, other recent studies have also highlighted the effectiveness of local district hiring in teacher retention, especially amid the growing popularity of "grow-your-own" programs and apprenticeships. Teacher apprenticeship programs typically target paraprofessionals, high school students, and local community members, training them to become full-time teachers.

For example, a study released in July analyzed statewide teacher workforce data in Maryland and found that teachers who were locally trained and received nearby training were significantly more likely to stay in the same school or district. The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland, College Park, and published by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University.

The study also showed that students taught by teachers who received "traditional" university training performed better in math than those taught by young teachers with "emergency certification" who were most likely to have grown up in the state. The study noted: "Local hiring complements, rather than replaces, high-quality training."

Garcia called the Maryland study "exciting" because it helps the education sector better evaluate the effectiveness of "grow-your-own" programs and provides insights for teacher apprenticeship programs. She emphasized: "For grow-your-own or teacher apprenticeships, genuine partnerships between educator preparation programs and school districts are crucial."