HUTTO — Hutto Independent School District is attempting to tackle teacher retention problems in a unique way.
The district recently announced the launch of an apprenticeship program for aspiring educators, which essentially consists of future teachers working as paraprofessionals at Hutto ISD while they receive free education.
“Education is the only profession that waits for people to come to us,” said Cara Malone, assistant superintendent of human resources. “We are finding our future teachers and we’re building our workforce for tomorrow with people from our area and community.”
The apprentices will walk out of the program debt-free with a college degree and teaching certification.
In return, those hired as teachers once their apprenticeship ends will be required to stay with Hutto ISD for at least three years.
The program will work similarly to the current residency program for individuals in their last year of college, Malone said. Apprentices will be paired with mentors so they may receive on-thejob training in the classroom from experienced teachers. While taking college classes online, apprentices will be paid as employees and work in a multitude of positions in the district’s kindergarten through 12th grade classrooms.
Malone said providing opportunities for future teachers to earn while they learn will create an affordable and rewarding pathway into the teaching profession.
“Over the course of three to four years, imagine how much they will know before they ever walk into the classroom as certified teachers,” Malone said. “By the time they become residents, they will really be equivalent to, maybe, already having a year of actual experience.”
Apprentices will receive a half day of training each month and are then expected to replicate the strategies with
students. The apprenticeship opportunity is available for current Hutto ISD employees, individuals with some college experience, those fresh out of high school and individuals looking into a career change.
The program will have four different “ramps”, which determines how long a student is an apprentice before completing their certification.
Hutto ISD said its goal is to take at least 50 apprentices for the next school year.
“We need to create more real-world applications and strategies of how we can recruit future educators that maybe never entered the education program from the head start,” Superintendent Raúl Peña said. “We can motivate them to be a part of something bigger and support them to become certified teachers in Texas.”
Since Hutto ISD is part of a fellowship with Houston area schools with similar programs, the district can receive the money from the Department of Labor to fund the added costs.
In addition, the district will ask its partners to lower the cost of tuition for students on this path. Malone said Hutto ISD is continuing to add university partners, but already has set relationships in place from its residency program with schools like Texas State University.
Hutto ISD will host an information session for those interested in the program Feb. 19, at 5:30 p.m. at the Human Resources Cottage, 200 College Street. The district’s HR team will lay out how to complete an application, which Malone said is expected to open the following day.
Hutto Independent School District’s human resources team will host an information session on the apprenticeship program Feb. 19, at 5:30 p.m. at the HR Cottage. Photo by Hunter Dworaczyk
