Round Rock ISD is working to open a new talent pipeline for aspiring educators within the district.
Current situation
Administrators are putting together a teacher apprenticeship program for the fall 2026 semester. Designed as a grow-your-own program, the apprenticeships will provide a route into the classroom for district paraprofessionals and others without a four-year degree.
RRISD Chief Human Resources Officer Eddie Curran presented the program to the board of trustees in March and said the program would provide a "financially sustainable" option to become a teacher without taking on a large amount of debt to pursue a four-year degree.
The details
Curran said the program will help paraprofessionals earn from scratch or complete a college degree in progress. He said the district will focus on educational assistants performing at high levels; professionals in complementary industries looking to change careers; and students participating in the district's Future Educators program and dual-credit courses who can start with college credit already earned.
The program has four on-ramps differentiated by the number of college credit hours a paraprofessional may already have earned:
- On-ramp 1, less than 30 credit hours: enrolled in college courses, on-the-job training, participating in micro-credential instruction. These apprentices will spend approximately four years in the program.
- On-ramp 2, less than 60 credit hours: enrolled in college courses, on-the-job training, participating in micro-credential instruction. These apprentices will spend approximately three years in the program.
- On-ramp 3, less than 90 credit hours: enrolled in college courses, on-the-job training, participating in micro-credential instruction. These apprentices will spend approximately two years in the program.
- On-ramp 4, residency: These apprentices will be in their final year of college or earning their four-year degree while enrolled in a teacher certification program. While in this program, they will participate in on-the-job training and micro-credential instruction. This would also be their final year in the program.
Cost to the district
The program is funded by a combination of local funds and an upfront state allocation of $720,000, and is seeking federal funding through the U.S. Department of Labor.
What's next?
Curran said the program will start this fall, but it is not yet known how many will be in the first cohort or which campuses will host the educator apprentices.
