Kwamé Floyd saw potential in Rutgers Alternate Route to help launch and lead a teacher apprenticeship program and encouraged Director Heather Ngoma to apply for the NJDOE grant. Now a trusted partner, TAN’s role is to provide essential technical support for districts seeking registered apprenticeship status, and to individuals seeking pathways into the teaching profession.

Eliminating the Praxis Core basic skills barrier is one example of how New Jersey leadership has stepped up to address the teacher shortage at home. Others include forming scholarships for student teachers, creating a task force and implementing three annual job fairs hosted by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE).

When Robyn Griffin graduated with a bachelor’s in education, she entered a tough market for teachers. Griffin needed another route to gain experience and get her foot into a school district, so she looked into becoming a paraprofessional. While she admits the choice was “a little disheartening,” it was an inspiring interview, a helpful teacher and a supportive school that reframed the opportunity.

New Jersey’s Amistad Bill became law in 2002, mandating schools incorporate African American history in social studies curricula. The only problem was the law established no real consequences for districts that did not comply.

Eventually, it was strengthened in 2021 and the Amistad Commission—the body created to oversee curriculum implementation— was given more agency to execute its work. The update created a line item in the state budget for the commission and expanded African American history to all subjects, not just social studies.

As provisionally licensed teachers, Rutgers Alternate Route program candidates connect with expert mentors selected by principals for their teaching achievements. These connections help our first-year teacher candidates feel supported, introduce them to new teaching methods and provide a listening ear when challenges arise.

We often hear how mentors have helped their mentees succeed, but what if we shared the positive impact mentees have had on their mentors?

We asked our mentors to share what they love about their mentees and how they helped make the recent school year successful.

Individuals who fill classroom support roles are strong candidates for full-time teaching and often take that next step. However, while classroom support roles provide the necessary foundations to transition into full-time teaching, there is still a difference to prepare for.

Teacher apprenticeship programs recognize these qualities in school support staff and leverage them to address teacher shortages, target critical subject areas and offer professional development opportunities that cater to their target audience.

Support roles in education offer more than just support—they are a lifeline for schools, administrators, teachers and students. Studies have shown having a paraprofessional in the classroom can reduce teacher turnover and improve student outcomes. Likewise, substitute teachers are integral to promoting and maintaining student success.

Rutgers University’s Graduate School of Education was one of two Universities selected by the New Jersey Department of Education for the New Jersey Teacher Apprenticeship Program grant. Ms. Heather Ngoma, Director of the Rutgers Alternate Route program, and her team were awarded $400,000.00 for their project entitled ParaPreppED.