(The Center Square) – State leaders hope a new teacher apprenticeship program that gives credit for previous job experience will help ease an educator shortage across Ohio.
The program also develops apprenticeships that give flexibility for different potential teachers and provides wage increases.
Candidates can also apply for a $7,500 scholarship each year for four years in exchange for teaching in an Ohio school for at least four years.
“This is an innovative way to help those already working in schools, such as teachers’ aids, library specialists, or bus drivers, obtain their teaching license,” Gov. Mike DeWine said. “School districts are able to identify potential future teachers who are already a part of their communities and provide them the support and guidance they need to succeed.”
There are 611 school districts in Ohio, and on the job-search website Indeed alone, 600 teaching positions are available. According to teach.com, the largest shortage of teachers in the state is in the areas of arts, English/language arts, math, science, foreign languages, social studies and special education.
The Ohio Department of Education does not track the number of teaching positions not filled each year but did note in a report areas of concern in the state’s southeast, southwest and west regions.
The report said the current number of teachers is comparable to the previous 10-year average and enrollment is on a downward trend, leaving “historically low student-to-teacher ratios.”
It also pointed out the teacher attrition rate is elevated compared to the previous six years, and the number of teachers teaching with improper certification is growing.
Also, there were more than 43,000 people with active teaching credentials during the 2021-22 school year who a public school did not employ as a teacher or other staff member.
Apprenticeships start at different levels of experience and education based on the student, and experience counts for both instruction time and on-the-job training. Salaries increase as skills and experience increases.
“This program is meant to replicate other successful programs where dedicated staff such as paraprofessionals, custodians, and bus drivers are recruited by their school districts to complete an apprenticeship and become a teacher,” Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor Randy Gardner said. “And it is another example of working together to give those interested in becoming a teacher one more way to do so.”
