Arkansas Registered Apprenticeship
Arkansas Educator Pathways
Arkansas Teacher Registered Apprenticeship
The Arkansas Teacher Registered Apprenticeship Program offers a paid, work-based pathway into the teaching profession. Apprentices earn a salary while gaining hands-on classroom experience, receiving mentorship from experienced educators, and completing the coursework and licensure requirements needed to become a licensed teacher. Registered with the U.S. Department of Labor, the program meets nationally recognized quality standards.
Choose your pathway
Select the option that best matches your role.
Become a Teacher Apprentice
Choose the pathway that matches the teaching license you are pursuing.
Become an Apprenticeship Employer
Review requirements for participating school districts and charter schools.
K-12 Registered Apprentices
What does it offer?
A pathway to earning your Arkansas K–12 teaching license while working in a school setting.
What should I expect?
View the complete K-12 apprenticeship expectations in one focused window.
What do I need to qualify?
How should I apply?
School districts and charter schools implement an apprentice selection process and submit an application to DESE for apprentice registration.
Special Education Registered Apprentices
What does it offer?
A pathway to earning your Arkansas Special Education teaching license while working in a school setting.
What should I expect?
View the complete Special Education apprenticeship expectations in one focused window.
What do I need to qualify?
How much does it cost?
Coursework and licensure exam costs are covered through apprenticeship funding.
How should I apply?
School districts and charter schools implement an apprentice selection process and submit an application to DESE for apprentice registration.
School District and Charter School Registered Apprenticeship Employers
What does it offer?
Registered Apprenticeship helps districts and charters build a sustainable “grow-your-own” educator pipeline, recruit future teachers from high school educator pathways, support classified staff interested in becoming licensed teachers, and address local teacher shortages in high-need licensure areas.
What should I expect?
View the complete district and charter school employer expectations in one focused window.
What are the journeyworker qualifications?
Hold a teaching license with a Lead Professional Educator Designation or Master Professional Educator Designation.
Complete required coaching training.
Have at least three years of classroom teaching experience.
Have received an effective evaluation or annual rating within the past four years.
Have sufficient time and proximity to support the apprentice’s progress through the 52 competencies detailed in the On-the-Job Learning Outline.
Not serve as a practicing administrator or supervisor.
How much does it cost?
How should I apply?
School districts and charter schools submit the Arkansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship online application to DESE.
Related Resources
Terms to Know
Review common apprenticeship terms and definitions in one easy-to-scan glossary.
Contact Information
Holly Morado
Assistant Director of Educator Effectiveness & Licensure
Department of Education | Educator Effectiveness & Licensure
Email: Holly.Morado@ade.arkansas.gov
Telephone: 501-683-0169
K-12 Registered Apprentices: What should I expect?
Review each expectation below. Press Escape or choose Close to return to the pathway page.
Sign an Apprentice Agreement.
Work directly with students at least 10 hours per week.
Receive mentorship from an experienced educator.
Demonstrate proficiency in 52 on-the-job learning competencies.
Maintain consistent attendance with the district or charter and the institution of higher education.
Receive a progressively increasing wage provided by the district or charter school.
Submit semester transcripts to the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
Complete at least 3 consecutive semesters as an apprentice.
Complete the apprenticeship within four years.
Special Education Registered Apprentices: What should I expect?
Review each expectation below. Press Escape or choose Close to return to the pathway page.
Sign an Apprentice Agreement.
Work directly with students at least 10 hours per week.
Receive mentorship from an experienced educator.
Demonstrate proficiency in 52 on-the-job learning competencies.
Maintain consistent attendance with the district or charter.
Receive a progressively increasing wage provided by the district or charter school.
Complete online coursework.
Complete at least 3 consecutive semesters as an apprentice.
Complete the apprenticeship within three years.
Districts and Charter Schools: What should I expect?
Review each expectation below. Press Escape or choose Close to return to the pathway page.
Establish partnerships and execute Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with the Education Service Cooperative and the apprentice’s chosen institution of higher education (ESC template; IHE template).
Sign an Employer Agreement.
Implement a fair apprentice and journeyworker selection process.
Provide apprentices with a progressively increasing wage.
Assign a qualified journeyworker to mentor the apprentice.
Submit invoices to the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) each semester for the journeyworker stipend.
Distribute the DESE-funded stipend of $2,500 per semester ($5,000 annually) to the journeyworker.
Notify DESE of changes in the status of the apprentice or journeyworker.
Terms to Know
Review the common apprenticeship terms below. Press Escape or choose Close to return to the pathway page.
- Apprentice
- The full-time employee of a school district or charter school also enrolled in 12-15 hours per semester at an institution of higher education, leading to an Arkansas teaching license. Must serve at least 1 1/2 school years as an apprentice (three semesters).
- AR DESE
- (K-12 Special Educ. occupation only): The facilitator of the learning management system, which maintains the special education-related modules.
- District
- The employer provides the on-the-job learning (OJL), compensates the apprentice, employs the journeyworker who mentors the apprentice, and documents the on-the-job training (OJT).
- Institution of Higher Education (IHE)
- An ADE-approved two-year* or four-year postsecondary institution. (*A two-year college with an articulation agreement to a four-year college or university.) An Educator Preparation Provider (EPP) within a four-year college or university must be an ADE-approved program offering first-time licensure for an Arkansas teaching license.
- Journeyworker
- The apprentice’s mentor must hold a standard content-area teaching license, have at least three years of classroom teaching experience, have received an effective teacher evaluation or annual rating within the past four years, hold a Lead or Master Professional Educator designation, and have completed coaching training from a recognized program. The journeyworker must not be a practicing administrator or supervisor; a classroom teacher is preferred.
- Related Technical Instruction (RTI) Provider
- The provider must deliver structured instruction to equip the apprentice with theoretical and technical knowledge relevant to the desired occupation.
Related Links
