DES MOINES, IOWA (June 20, 2022) — The Davenport Community School District was awarded a $3,700,848 competitive grant Thursday, June 9, as part of Governor Kim Reynolds’ new Teacher and Paraeducator Registered Apprenticeship Pilot Program to grow Iowa’s educator talent pipeline and support expansion of registered apprenticeships in schools across the state.
This innovative program will provide opportunities for current high-school students to earn a paraeducator certificate and Associate degree, and adult paraeducators with an Associate degree to earn their Bachelor’s degree all while working in the classroom as a paraeducator, and taking courses towards their education degree. School districts are partnering with an eligible community college or four-year college or university to provide the required education.
The Davenport Community School District is pleased to collaborate with the Bettendorf, Clinton, Muscatine, North Scott, Pleasant Valley, and West Liberty school districts to offer this wonderful opportunity to our students and staff. We are grateful to Gov Reynolds and Iowa Workforce Development for their generosity and innovative approach to Iowa’s teacher shortage.
The Teacher and Paraeducator Registered Apprenticeship Pilot Program awards are part of a broad commitment to help more Iowans pursue careers in education. The program came out of recommendations from the Task Force on Growing a Diverse K-12 Teacher Base, which the Iowa Legislature called for during the 2021 session. The Task Force examined potential barriers to entering the teaching profession, with an emphasis on those underrepresented in the teaching force, and submitted its final report to Gov Reynolds and the General Assembly last December.
The Teacher and Paraeducator Registered Apprenticeship grants drew 26 applications. Of those, nineteen districts were granted awards totaling over $45.6 million, which will serve more than 1,000 paraeducators and students in 134 schools, ultimately creating over 500 new paraeducators and 500 new teachers. Funding for these one-time grant awards is provided through the state’s allocation of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. Recipients will regularly report their progress throughout the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years.
