Rutgers Graduate School of Education Awarded New Jersey Teacher Apprenticeship Program Grant

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. 

"This is such an important state initiative," Ngoma said. "I'm excited about the possibilities for expanding the teacher apprenticeship model and creating a sustainable recruitment strategy for districts which hopefully results in greater teacher retention.”

The funding will support a partnership with a consortium of geographically and enrollment-diverse districts to support instructional support staff in becoming full-time licensed K-12 teachers. 

The consortium includes New Brunswick Public Schools, iLearn Schools, College Achieve Paterson CS, Camden County Ed Services Commission, Roselle Public Schools, and Bound Brook School District. The 2023 New Jersey Department of Labor GAINS Grant awardee Teacher Apprenticeship Network is a key collaborator on this grant and will help provide essential technical support for districts seeking registered apprenticeship status and to individuals seeking pathways into the teaching profession.

“We are excited to partner with the incredible team at Rutgers Graduate School of Education on the ParaPreppED initiative. This grant is a vital step in expanding teacher apprenticeships and building a diverse and sustainable pipeline of talented educators," said Kwamé Floyd, Executive Director of Teacher Apprenticeship Network. “Together, we’re eliminating barriers and empowering districts to grow and retain talent from within their communities.”

ParaPreppED is driven by the expressed interests of district leaders who wish to identify overlooked or hidden teaching talent among eligible paraprofessionals and substitutes the district can support to fill teaching vacancies, including those in Special Education, Science and Math, and English as a Second Language or Bilingual Education. 

The goals of this project are: 

(1)    increase the number of Registered Teacher Apprenticeships in the state; 
(2)    expand the teacher pipeline, leveraging the existing district talent; 
(3)    address barriers for aspiring teachers through targeted support like Praxis prep; and 
(4)    conduct and disseminate on-going research on the implementation and impact of the initiative.

"We are delighted that the GSE has received this award and look forward to working with our partner districts to harvest the teaching talent in their school communities," said GSE Associate Dean Dr. Nora Hyland.

Rutgers-Graduate School of Education would also like to congratulate Ramapo College who was the other recipient of this grant.

For further reading, check out NJDOE ’s announcement of the grant.  

If you’re considering following your dream of teaching, Rutgers Alternate Route can offer you the support and training you need to succeed. Be sure to follow Rutgers Alternate Route on Twitter and sign up for Alternate Route’s monthly newsletter for more information and stories from the field of education.