Nebraska Department of Education expands apprenticeship program to address teacher shortage

The Nebraska Department of Education will expand the state’s teacher apprenticeship program to eight colleges and 19 school districts across the state with help from $6 million in federal funding.

The expanded partnership program will help 131 teacher assistants and paraprofessionals who are already working in the classroom further their education to become teachers. Apprentices continue their day jobs assisting at a school while taking classes to receive their degree.

The program started earlier this year with three partnerships. NDE Commissioner Brian Maher said the department is excited to expand it.

“Our 25,000 public and non-public school teachers are the backbone of education in this state,” Maher said. “This innovative program continues to focus on the quality partnerships to build a robust educator pipeline now and into the future here in Nebraska.”

The eight colleges will work with school districts across the state, including:

• Chadron State College with Scottsbluff Public Schools
• College of St. Mary with the Archdiocese of Omaha Catholic Schools
• Midland University with Bellevue Public Schools, Douglas County West Community Schools, Elkhorn Public Schools, Fremont Public Schools, Millard Public Schools, Papillion La Vista Community Schools, Ralston Public Schools and Westside Community Schools
• Peru State College with Bellevue Public Schools, Papillion La Vista CommunitySchools and Millard Public Schools
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln with Lincoln Public Schools, ESU #5 and ESU #6
• University of Nebraska-Kearney with Lexington Public Schools, Grand Island Public Schools, Kearney Public Schools, Minden Public Schools, Pleasanton Public Schools and Gibbon Public Schools
• University of Nebraska-Omaha with Ralston Public Schools and Gretna Public Schools
• Wayne State College with ESU #7 and Columbus Public Schools

State officials announced the expansion at an event on Wednesday at Paddock Road Elementary School in Omaha, part of Westside Community Schools. The district was one of three that piloted the program through a partnership with Midland University.

Chelsea Hinegardner has been an educational assistant at Paddock Road Elementary School for the past three years and will be a student teacher in sixth grade next semester. Hinegardner will be able to be a full time teacher next school year. She said the apprenticeship program gave her the support she needed to become a teacher.

“I don't know if I would have done this without this program,” Hinegardner said. “Going to college is a huge financial decision, and also I was already in my life. It just might not have happened, but because of this, it gave me the push.”

Hinegardner said she is honored to teach the next generation, and is looking forward to being a full time teacher.

“This is honestly the most rewarding job that I've ever had, working with kids and knowing that I'm making an impact on them and the things that they're going to do in their life and the futures that they're going to have,” she said.