FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CALIFORNIA LAUNCHES FIRST REGISTERED TEACHER APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS TO TACKLE TEACHER SHORTAGES THROUGH “EARN AND LEARN” MODELS

HANFORD, CA (June 4, 2026)—California has officially registered its first two Registered Apprenticeship Programs for teaching with the Tulare County Office of Education and Santa Clara County Office of Education. This historic launch creates an innovative “earn and learn” pathway to address teacher shortages in the state.

Registered apprenticeships provide an affordable, accessible, and high-quality pathway into the teaching profession. In this model, teacher candidates engage in rigorous preparation experiences under the guidance of an experienced mentor, all while earning wages as a school district employee. This model removes some of the financial barriers to accessing the teaching profession while ensuring a high-quality, high-support learning experience for teacher candidates. 

This milestone represents a successful multi-year collaboration dating back to November 2022 between California labor and education leaders to bolster the existing PK12 teacher preparation landscape. To reduce the financial burden of earning a teacher certification, the initiative focused on layering apprenticeship models into the state’s existing teacher preparation pathways. 

This work, facilitated by Education First, resulted in publication of Earning by Learning: A Toolkit for Developing, Launching and Sustaining Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) in PK12 Teaching in California and the launch of pilot programs across the state, beginning with Tulare and Santa Clara County Offices of Education.

These technical assistance responsibilities have now successfully transitioned from Education First to the Education and Apprenticeship Resource Network (EARN), a statewide intermediary led by the Santa Clara County Office of Education in partnership with the Tulare County Office of Education. EARN is now scaling this capacity across California and providing support to local education agencies, institutions of higher education, labor partners and community organizations interested in developing and implementing teacher apprenticeships. 

To learn more Sarah Begeman, senior consultant, is available for interviews. 

Media Contact:

Madi Carzon, Director of Strategic Communications, Education First

mcarzon@education-first.com