Announcements
Our team will release an application for the 2025-26 school year OSSE Apprenticeship in Teaching in winter 2025. Please continue to monitor this web page for updates.
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 |
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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
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 | Eligibility | Program Length |
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District Graduate Bachelor’s Pathway Apprentices on this pathway will work approximately 30 hours a week in placements at DC local education agencies, with wages funded by OSSE, while completing coursework leading to a bachelor’s degree. |
Any candidate with a high school diploma (or GED) from a DC high school but does not yet have all the credits required for a bachelor’s degree. | Up to 4 years |
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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 is dependent on the amount of transferrable higher education credits candidates have when entering the program.
Additional Information
Resources
For more details on each pathway, including a yearly breakdown of pathways, please see the resources below:
- OSSE Apprenticeship in Teaching District Graduate Pathway Overview
- OSSE Apprenticeship in Teaching Paraprofessional Pathway Overview
- Press Release: The District of Columbia Approves Its First Citywide Registered Apprenticeship in Teaching
- OSSE Apprenticeship in Teaching Information Session - Meeting Recording
- OSSE Apprenticeship in Teaching Letter of Recommendation Template
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.