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OSSE Apprenticeship in Teaching

Announcements

OSSE is excited to announce that the 2025-26 OSSE Apprenticeship in Teaching application is open from now until Friday, Feb. 21! If you are a currently employed paraprofessional at a DC public or public charter school or an individual providing high impact tutoring throughout the District, visit this link to apply for this cost-free opportunity to become an elementary, early childhood, or special education teacher in DC.

Please visit the "Resources” section below for application process guidelines.

2025 Application

Please visit this link to apply for the 2025 OSSE Apprenticeship in Teaching program.

For additional information or questions, please email [email protected].

Resources

2024 OSSE Apprenticeship in Teaching Program Cohort

Overview

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) congratulates the 2024 cohort of OSSE teacher apprentices, which includes 48 paraprofessionals from across the District. Paraprofessionals in the 2024 cohort represent 35 schools, and have on average, five years of school-based experience.

Schools Represented in the 2024 OSSE Apprenticeship in Teaching Program Cohort

Apprentices complete on-the-job learning, a core component of the program, at their school site throughout the school year. During the 2024-25 school year, apprentices will complete this learning at the following District public and public charter schools:

District of Columbia Public Schools District of Columbia Public Charter Shools
  • Ballou High School
  • Bancroft Elementary
  • Brightwood Elementary
  • Coolidge High School
  • H.D. Cooke Elementary
  • Lawrence E. Boone Elementary
  • Marie Reed Elementary
  • Maury Elementary
  • Payne Elementary
  • Seaton Elementary
  • Shirley Chisholm Elementary
  • Simon Elementary
  • Stanton Elementary
  • Takoma Elementary
  • Thaddeus Stevens Early Learning Center
  • Tubman Elementary
  • Whittier Elementary
  • Cedar Tree Academy PCS
  • Center City PCS (Congress Heights)
  • Center City PCS (Capitol Hill)
  • Center City PCS (Petworth)
  • Center City PCS (Brightwood)
  • DC Bilingual PCS
  • District of Columbia International School
  • Early Childhood Academy PCS
  • Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom PCS (Brookland)
  • Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom PCS (East End)
  • Friendship PCS (Southeast Elementary and Middle)
  • Friendship PCS (Blow Pierce Elementary)
  • Friendship PCS (Ideal Elementary)
  • Global Citizens PCS
  • KIPP DC - The Learning Center
  • Sela PCS
  • St. Coletta of Greater Washington PCS
  • Two Rivers PCS at Young

Apprentices Represented in the 2024 OSSE Apprenticeship in Teaching Program Cohort

OSSE is excited to highlight the work of our amazing apprentices. Check out the profiles below to learn more about the incredible individuals who serve DC’s students everyday.

Spotlight On: Ebony McCullough, Harriett Tubman Elementary School

About the OSSE Apprenticeship in Teaching Program

Background

The OSSE Apprenticeship in Teaching program is a new, cost-free opportunity to become an Elementary, Early Childhood, or Special Education teacher in DC. This innovative new initiative will remove financial barriers to entering the teaching profession by providing prospective DC educators with a tuition-free bachelor’s degree, flexible coursework offerings, and paid on-the-job learning. Apprentices who successfully complete the program will be eligible for an OSSE standard teaching credential.

OSSE’s Apprenticeship in Teaching program expands on the success of the OSSE Educator Preparation “Grow Your Own” program and was approved by the DC Apprenticeship Council on April 11, 2024. Grounded in the required characteristics of registered apprenticeships, OSSE’s Apprenticeship in Teaching program has three core components that merge to create a streamlined pathway into the classroom:

  • Flexible coursework that leads to a degree
  • On-the-job learning in DC public or public charter schools
  • Wages that increase based on years of experience

During the day, apprentices will work full-time in a DC school under the guidance of a mentor teacher to learn the skills needed to become an effective, career educator. In the evenings, apprentices will complete coursework that leads to a bachelor’s degree. Coursework is flexible and designed to meet apprentices’ needs— a combination of hybrid, virtual, asynchronous, and traditional in-person courses will be offered.

Coursework and degrees will be cost-free to apprentices in exchange for their commitment to teach in DC schools after graduation!

Eligibility

The Apprenticeship in Teaching Program offers two distinct pathways to a degree and eligibility for an OSSE standard teaching credential in Special Education, Elementary Education or Early Childhood Education.

Pathway Eligibiliy Program Length

*NEW* High-Impact Tutoring (HIT) Pathway

Apprentices on this pathway will work full-time at a school at which they accept employment while completing coursework leading to a bachelor’s degree.

This pathway is open to individuals who are providing high-impact tutoring throughout the District. An eligible candidate may have some higher education experience but does not yet have all the credits required for a bachelor’s degree.

Candidates must be employed as a paraprofessional at a DCPS or DC public charter school by July 1, 2025.		 2-4 years*

Current Paraprofessional Bachelor’s Pathway

Apprentices on this pathway will continue working full-time at the schools in which they are currently employed while completing coursework leading to a bachelor’s degree.		 Candidates must be currently employed as a paraprofessional at a DCPS or DC public charter school. An eligible candidate may have some higher education experience but does not yet have all the credits required for a bachelor’s degree. 2-4 years*

*The length of the paraprofessional bachelor’s pathway and HIT pathway is dependent on the amount of transferrable higher education credits candidates have when entering the program.

OSSE Apprenticeship in Teaching Program Signing Day

OSSE launched the 2024 OSSE Apprenticeship in Teaching Program at its Signing Day on Aug. 14, 2024. During this celebration, OSSE recognized the inaugural cohort of apprentices and their school leaders, provided an overview of the program, welcomed a panel of veteran teachers, and highlighted the collaboration between OSSE, the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), and the Department of Employment Services (DOES) that made this program possible. OSSE looks forward to working with apprentices and our District partners throughout the 2024-25 school year!

Veteran Teachers Share their Experiences and Guidance with Apprentices

The 2024 Apprenticeship Cohort Celebrates with Antoinette S. Mitchell, Ph.D., Interim State Superintendent

Please continue to monitor this web page for updated resources for the 2025-26 school year.

Contact Information

For additional information regarding the OSSE Apprenticeship in Teaching program please email [email protected]. Our team will work to respond to your request within two business days.

More Resources