EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1233*
HOUSE BILL 1233
C3, F1, F2 3lr2963
CF SB 668
By: Delegate Kerr
Introduced and read first time: February 15, 2023
Assigned to: Rules and Executive Nominations
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Teacher Degree Apprenticeship 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Teacher Apprenticeship Startup Grant Program in the 3
Maryland Department of Labor; requiring a sponsor participating in a teacher 4
apprenticeship program to establish an apprenticeship that develops certain career 5
paths and to pay apprentices certain compensation; requiring a sponsor, in 6
coordination with the Career and Technical Education Committee, to develop a high 7
school level apprenticeship; requiring a sponsor to partner with institutions of higher 8
education to offer postsecondary education credits under a teacher apprenticeship 9
program; requiring the Department to award a certain amount in a certain fiscal 10
year for a certain purpose; requiring the Governor to include in the annual budget 11
bill an appropriation for the Grant Program; and generally relating to teacher 12
apprenticeships in the State. 13
BY adding to 14
Article – Labor and Employment 15
Section 11–607 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2016 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 18
Preamble 19
WHEREAS, Apprenticeship is an effective mode of learning academic, employability, 20
and occupational skills for most professions. Apprenticeships widen access to rewarding 21
careers, enhance the productivity of workers, and strengthen the engagement of learners 22
as they apply what they learn in a career–oriented job. Apprenticeships meet the demand 23
by employers for skilled professionals with experience who understand all aspects of an 24
occupation; and 25
WHEREAS, Apprenticeships in the teaching profession can help meet the demand 26
for teachers in Maryland in ways that encourage diversity and ensure quality. Becoming a 27 2 HOUSE BILL 1233
K–12 teacher through apprenticeship lowers financial barriers to full certification, thereby 1
attracting qualified individuals from low–income, bilingual, and African American 2
communities. Teacher apprenticeships increase substantially the time prospective teachers 3
apply what they learn in classroom settings. Teacher apprenticeships take full advantage 4
of the enthusiasm of young people who begin their apprenticeships in high school. By the 5
time they become fully qualified, teachers trained through apprenticeship would have 3 to 6
5 years of classroom experience; and 7
WHEREAS, Apprenticeships benefit local education agencies by expanding the 8
availability and mix of teaching talent and by attracting teachers who have ties and 9
commitment to local communities. Another benefit is the ability of local education agencies 10
to tailor the teacher training to best meet the needs of the school system; and 11
WHEREAS, Teacher apprenticeships are already successful in the United Kingdom 12
and Australia and are starting to penetrate U.S. school systems. The U.S. Department of 13
Labor currently recognizes teaching apprenticeship programs of 12 states, including 14
Arkansas, California, Colorado, Michigan, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, and Wyoming. 15
The specifications of well–developed functions and competencies for effective teachers are 16
increasingly available and can help a teacher apprenticeship program yield an increased 17
supply of committed and capable pre–K and K–12 teachers; now, therefore, 18
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20
Article – Labor and Employment 21
11–607. 22
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 23
INDICATED. 24
(2) “GRANT PROGRAM” MEANS THE TEACHER APPRENTICESHIP 25
STARTUP GRANT PROGRAM. 26
(3) “SPONSOR” MEANS AN ORGANIZATIO N THAT DEVELOPS AND 27
IMPLEMENTS A TEACHER APPRENTICESH IP PROGRAM. 28
(B) THERE IS A TEACHER APPRENTICESHIP STARTUP GRANT PROGRAM IN 29
THE DEPARTMENT . 30
(C) THE PURPOSE OF THE GRANT PROGRAM IS TO: 31
(1) PROVIDE YOUNG INDIVI DUALS WITH OPPORTUNI TIES TO BEGIN A 32
CAREER IN PRIMARY AN D SECONDARY ED UCATION; 33
HOUSE BILL 1233 3
(2) DEVELOP A COHORT OF INDIVIDUALS QUALIFIE D TO WORK AS 1
TEACHERS IN THE STATE; AND 2
(3) ENCOURAGE COUNTY BOA RDS OF EDUCATION TO HIRE 3
APPRENTICES . 4
(D) A SPONSOR PARTICIPATIN G IN A TEACHER APPRE NTICESHIP PROGRAM : 5
(1) SHALL CONSIST OF : 6
(I) THE MARYLAND STATE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION; AND 7
(II) AT LEAST THREE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEMS ; AND 8
(2) MAY CONSIST OF : 9
(I) OTHER UNIONS REPRESE NTING SCHOOL SYSTEM 10
EMPLOYEES; 11
(II) ADDITIONAL LOCAL SCH OOL SYSTEMS; AND 12
(III) INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS. 13
(E) (1) A SPONSOR PARTICIPATIN G IN A TEACHER APPRE NTICESHIP 14
PROGRAM SHALL ESTABL ISH AN APPRENTICESHI P THAT DEVELOPS A CA REER PATH 15
FOR: 16
(I) TUTORS; 17
(II) TEACHER’S AIDES; AND 18
(III) TEACHERS. 19
(2) AN EMPLOYER IN THE AP PRENTICESHIP PRO GRAM SHALL PAY 20
APPRENTICES COMPENSA TION CONSISTENT WITH OTHER EMPLOYERS IN T HE SAME 21
FIELD. 22
(3) (I) A SPONSOR, IN COORDINATION WITH THE CAREER AND 23
TECHNICAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED UNDER § 21–209 OF THE 24
EDUCATION ARTICLE, SHALL DEVELOP A HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL APPRENTICE SHIP. 25
(II) A HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL AP PRENTICESHIP UNDER A 26
TEACHER APPRENTICESH IP PROGRAM SHALL : 27 4 HOUSE BILL 1233
1. ALLOW A STUDENT PART ICIPATING IN THE TEA CHER 1
APPRENTICESHIP TO MA XIMIZE ATTAINMENT IN : 2
A. COLLEGE LEVEL GENERA L EDUCATION CREDI TS 3
THROUGH ADVANCED PLA CEMENT COURSES , AN EARLY COLLEGE PRO GRAM, OR 4
DUAL ENROLLMENT AT A STUDENT’S HIGH SCHOOL AND AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHE R 5
EDUCATION; AND 6
B. A TEACHER CTE PROGRAM; AND 7
2. ALLOW A STUDENT TO C OMPLETE COURSEWORK A ND 8
TRAINING THROUG H AN INNOVATIVE SCHO OL SCHEDULING MODEL SO THAT THE 9
STUDENT CAN COMPLETE THE APPRENTICESHIP ’S TUTORING REQUIREME NTS 10
DURING REGULAR SCHOO L HOURS AND OUTSIDE REGULAR SCHOOL HOURS . 11
(4) A SPONSOR SHALL PARTNE R WITH INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER 12
EDUCATION TO OFFER POSTSECONDARY EDUCAT ION CREDITS UNDER A TEACHER 13
APPRENTICESHIP PROGR AM. 14
(F) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL : 15
(I) ADMINISTER THE GRANT PROGRAM; AND 16
(II) AWARD A GRANT TO A S PONSOR THAT MEETS TH E 17
REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION. 18
(2) TO RECEIVE A GRANT UNDER THE GRANT PROGRAM, A 19
SPONSOR’S APPRENTICESHIP SHA LL BE APPROVED BY TH E MARYLAND 20
APPRENTICESHIP COUNCIL. 21
(G) (1) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025, THE DEPARTMENT MAY AWARD UP TO 22
$250,000 TO A SPONSOR FOR DEV ELOPMENT AND IMPLEME NTATION OF A TEACHER 23
APPRENTICESHI P PROGRAM. 24
(2) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER , 25
THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE ANNUAL BUDG ET BILL AN APPROPRIA TION 26
OF $750,000 FOR THE GRANT PROGRAM TO: 27
(I) PROVIDE GRANTS TO SP ONSORS; AND 28
(II) COVER THE ADMINISTRA TIVE COSTS OF OPERATING THE 29
GRANT PROGRAM. 30 HOUSE BILL 1233 5
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 1
1, 2023. 2