NEWS RELEASE: New Mexico Public Education Department secures federal grant for teacher apprenticeships
For Immediate Release
Contact: Janelle Taylor Garcia, Ph.D.
Acting Public Information Officer
New Mexico Public Education Department
505-709-5543
Janelle.garcia@ped.nm.gov
July 26, 2024
New Mexico Public Education Department secures federal grant for teacher apprenticeships
SANTA FE, NM — The New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) has received a four-year, $4 million federal grant to support the Educator Apprenticeships NM project. This project will incorporate apprenticeship programs into the PED’s educator recruitment and training efforts.
“A strong apprenticeship component will complement the teacher residency work we already support,” said Public Education Secretary Arsenio Romero . “This grant and the Educator Apprenticeships NM project represent an opportunity to further ensure that every classroom has a well-trained educator.”
Educator Apprenticeships NM is a statewide project that will integrate Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) and pre-apprenticeships through the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions into the PED’s existing educator recruitment and training initiatives.
The vision behind Educator Apprenticeships NM is an educator recruitment and training system that offers multiple affordable entry points into the teaching profession, and for each educator recruitment and training pathway to culminate in a “residency” year alongside a strong mentor teacher before aspiring teachers are licensed.
“With Educator Apprenticeships NM, the Public Education Department and the Department of Workforce Solutions will collaborate to create high-quality pathways into the teaching profession so every student in New Mexico has an instructor who can help them succeed,” said Department of Workforce Solutions Secretary Sarita Nair . “Together with funding support from the US Department of Labor’s State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula grant, we have an opportunity for New Mexico to lead the nation in teacher apprenticeships.”
Because residency graduates are so well prepared, they are more likely to stay in the profession. Studies regularly show that three-year retention rates hover around 90%, compared to fast-track programs’ retention rates of 35–40%. High-quality educator preparation programs address educational inequities by ensuring every student in every classroom has a well-prepared teacher and that the teacher workforce reflects the multicultural, multilingual landscape of New Mexico.
Educator Apprenticeships NM has three goals:
1. Create an education-system-aligned, articulated and degreed RAP ecosystem focused on identifying, supporting and preparing a diverse, stable educator workforce.
2. Develop local sustainable funding streams to complement existing funding and grow apprenticeship capacity.
3. Improve student outcomes through strong RAP design with an evidence-based instructional focus.
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The New Mexico Public Education Department partners with educators, communities and families to ensure that all students are healthy, secure in their identity and holistically prepared for college, career and life. Currently, NMPED serves about 320,000 students in 189 districts and charter schools. Find an abundance of resources for administrators, educators, families and students at New Mexico Public Education Department (state.nm.us) or follow the NMPED on Facebook and Instagram .
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