It's a Rap

Residency programs are like delicious, homemade chocolate cakes. They use the best ingredients and require much more time to plan, prepare and bake as compared to traditional teacher preparation programs. Research is clear, residencies reward the profession with well-prepared, confident, classroom-ready teachers. And, like cake, residencies offer the foundational layers on which to build high quality Apprenticeship programs (which offer the icing, so to speak). Layering an Apprenticeship onto a residency provides distinct advantages over residencies alone.

Comparing residencies with Apprenticeships, the base ingredients are identical in all aspects save one: the icing. 

Both programs require: 

1. enrollment in IHE Educator Preparation Programs with NYSED-approved Registered Residency Programs;
2. a one year or longer extended clinical experience under the watchful eye of both an accomplished School-Based Teacher Educator and University-Based Teacher Educator; and 
3. strong P-20 collaboration around curriculum alignment, assessment, supervision, and support.

So what more to add? How does the icing of Apprenticeship programs add to residencies?

Before tasting, it’s important to understand that residencies can operate on their own, without Apprenticeships, much like eating cake without icing. Yet Apprenticeships, as the icing, can’t take shape without the solid cake of residencies holding them up. 

Registered Apprenticeship Programs add value to residencies as they require employment wages to the candidate, a little more time with a minimum of 1200 hours on-the-job, and must be registered with the NYS Department of Labor–all of which enrich the clinical experience. 

Since residencies work so well, why make the effort to register a teacher Apprentice program? 

Well, like icing, the Apprenticeship offers an enhanced experience for both the district and candidate with:

1. supplemental DOL grants called Apprenticeship Expansion Grants (this year’s grant allows program sponsors access to $15,000 per Apprentice for tuition assistance, Apprentice wage offsets, and other supports);
2. automatic tuition assistance for State University candidates;
3. an expanded teacher candidate pipeline thanks to wage requirements and tuition support that reduces student debt, removing barriers to attract a more diverse pool; and
4. modest startup money from the HUB to districts/BOCES, unions affiliates, and IHEs.

Cake is good, yet icing makes it marvelously complete. Registering an Apprenticeship program opens opportunities for funding, removes barriers, improves preparedness, increases retention, and builds educator diversity which all serve to enhance the foundational residency program.

It’s time to dig in.