EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0668*
SENATE BILL 668
C3, F1, F2 3lr0832
CF 3lr2963
By: Senator Rosapepe
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2023
Assigned to: Finance
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 (CTE) Committee, to develop 7
a high school level apprenticeship; requiring a sponsor to partner with institutions 8
of higher education to offer postsecondary education credits under a teacher 9
apprenticeship program; authorizing the Department to award a certain amount in 10
a certain fiscal year to a sponsor to develop and launch a teacher apprenticeship 11
program; requiring the CTE Committee to determine if certain changes to rules, 12
regulations, procedures, or funding of the State Department of Education are 13
necessary to implement the Grant Program; and generally relating to teacher 14
apprenticeships in the State. 15
BY adding to 16
Article – Labor and Employment 17
Section 11–607 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2016 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 20
Preamble 21
WHEREAS, Apprenticeship is an effective mode of learning academic, employability, 22
and occupational skills for most professions. Apprenticeships widen access to rewarding 23
careers, enhance the productivity of workers, and strengthen the engagement of learners 24
as they apply what they learn in a career–oriented job. Apprenticeships meet the demand 25
by employers for skilled professionals with experience who understand all aspects of an 26
occupation; and 27
2 SENATE BILL 668
WHEREAS, Apprenticeships in the teaching profession can help meet the demand 1
for teachers in Maryland in ways that encourage diversity and ensure quality. Becoming a 2
K–12 teacher through apprenticeship lowers financial barriers to full certification, thereby 3
attracting qualified individuals from low–income, bilingual, and African American 4
communities. Teacher apprenticeships increase substantially the time prospective teachers 5
apply what they learn in classroom settings. Teacher apprenticeships take full advantage 6
of the enthusiasm of young people who begin their apprenticeships in high school. By the 7
time they become fully qualified, teachers trained through apprenticeship would have 3 to 8
5 years of classroom experience; and 9
WHEREAS, Apprenticeships benefit local education agencies by expanding the 10
availability and mix of teaching talent and by attracting teachers who have ties and 11
commitment to local communities. Another benefit is the ability of local education agencies 12
to tailor the teacher training to best meet the needs of the school system; and 13
WHEREAS, Teacher apprenticeships are already successful in the United Kingdom 14
and Australia and are starting to penetrate U.S. school systems. The U.S. Department of 15
Labor currently recognizes teaching apprenticeship programs of 12 states, including 16
Arkansas, California, Colorado, Michigan, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, and Wyoming. 17
The specifications of well–developed functions and competencies for effective teachers are 18
increasingly available and can help a teacher apprenticeship program yield an increased 19
supply of committed and capable pre–K and K–12 teachers; now, therefore, 20
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 21
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 22
Article – Labor and Employment 23
11–607. 24
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 25
INDICATED. 26
(2) “CTE COMMITTEE” MEANS THE CAREER AND TECHNICAL 27
EDUCATION COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED UNDER § 21–209 OF THE EDUCATION 28
ARTICLE. 29
(3) “GRANT PROGRAM” MEANS THE TEACHER APPRENTICESHIP 30
STARTUP GRANT PROGRAM. 31
(4) “SPONSOR” MEANS AN ORGANIZATIO N THAT DEVELOPS AND 32
IMPLEMENTS A TEACHER APPRENTICESHIP PROGR AM. 33
(B) THERE IS A TEACHER APPRENTICESHIP STARTUP GRANT PROGRAM IN 34
THE DEPARTMENT . 35 SENATE BILL 668 3
(C) THE PURPOSE OF THE GRANT PROGRAM IS TO: 1
(1) PROVIDE HIGH SCHOOL AND COLL EGE STUDENTS AS WELL AS 2
CAREER CHANGERS OPPORTUNITIES TO BEG IN A CAREER IN EDUCATION IN 3
MARYLAND; 4
(2) DEVELOP A COHORT OF I NDIVIDUALS QUALIFIED TO WORK AS 5
TEACHERS IN THE STATE; AND 6
(3) ENCOURAGE COUNTY BOARDS OF EDU CATION TO HIRE 7
APPRENTICES . 8
(D) A SPONSOR PARTICIPATIN G IN A TEACHER APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM: 9
(1) SHALL CONSIST OF : 10
(I) AT LEAST ONE UNION R EPRESENTING SCHOOL E MPLOYEES; 11
AND 12
(II) AT LEAST THREE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEMS ; AND 13
(2) MAY CONSIST OF: 14
(I) OTHER UNIONS REPRESENTING SCHOOL SYSTEM 15
EMPLOYEES; 16
(II) ADDITIONAL LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEMS ; AND 17
(III) INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS . 18
(E) (1) A SPONSOR PARTICIPATING IN A TEACHER APPRENTICESHIP 19
PROGRAM SHALL: 20
(I) ESTABLISH A MULTIYEAR REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP 21
THAT DEVELOPS A CARE ER PATH AS FOLLOWS: 22
1. LEVEL ONE IS A TUTOR; 23
2. LEVEL TWO IS A PARAEDUCATOR ; AND 24
3. LEVEL THREE IS A TEACHER; 25
4 SENATE BILL 668
(II) PARTNER WITH INSTITU TIONS OF HIGHER EDUC ATION TO 1
OFFER POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION CREDITS UNDER A TEAC HER APPRENTICESHIP 2
PROGRAM; 3
(III) CONSULT WITH LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEMS AND UNIONS 4
REPRESENTING SCHOOL EMPLOYEES ON THE DESIGN OF THE APPRENTICESHIP ; 5
AND 6
(IV) IN COORDINATION WITH THE CTE COMMITTEE, DEVELOP A 7
HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL REGISTERED APPRENTIC ESHIP. 8
(2) AN EMPLOYER IN THE AP PRENTICESHIP PROGRAM SHALL PAY 9
APPRENTICES COMPENSATION CONSISTENT WITH OTHE R EMPLOYERS IN THE S AME 10
FIELD. 11
(3) NOTHING IN THIS SECTI ON ALTERS THE REQUIREME NTS FOR 12
TEACHER CERTIFICATIO N. 13
(4) A HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL AP PRENTICESHIP UNDER A TEACHER 14
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM SHALL: 15
(I) ALLOW A STUDENT PARTI CIPATING IN THE TEACHER 16
APPRENTICESHIP TO MAXIMIZE ATTAINME NT IN COLLEGE LEVEL CREDITS 17
THROUGH: 18
1. ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES ; 19
2. AN EARLY COLLEGE PROGRA M, OR DUAL 20
ENROLLMENT AT A STUD ENT’S HIGH SCHOOL OR AN INSTITUTION OF HI GHER 21
EDUCATION; AND 22
3. A TEACHER CTE PROGRAM; AND 23
(II) ALLOW A STUDENT TO COMPLETE COURSEWORK AND 24
TRAINING THROUGH A N INNOVATIVE SCHOOL SCHEDULING MODEL SO THAT THE 25
STUDENT CAN COMPLETE THE APPRENTICESHIP ’S TUTORING REQUIREME NTS 26
DURING REGULAR SCHOOL HOURS AND OUTSIDE REGULAR SCHOOL HOURS . 27
(F) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL : 28
(I) ADMINISTER THE GRANT PROGRAM; AND 29
SENATE BILL 668 5
(II) AWARD A GRANT TO A SPONSOR THAT MEETS THE 1
REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION. 2
(2) TO RECEIVE A GRANT UN DER THE GRANT PROGRAM, A 3
SPONSOR’S APPRENTICESHIP SHA LL BE APPROVED BY TH E MARYLAND 4
APPRENTICESHIP AND TRAINING COUNCIL. 5
(G) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025, THE DEPARTMENT MAY AWARD UP TO $500,000 6
TO A SPONSOR FOR DEV ELOPMENT AND LAUNCH OF A TEACHER APPRENTICESHIP 7
PROGRAM. 8
(H) THE CTE COMMITTEE SHALL DETERMINE IF ANY CHANGES TO THE 9
RULES, REGULATIONS , PROCEDURES , OR FUNDING OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF 10
EDUCATION ARE NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THE GRANT PROGRAM. 11
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 12
1, 2023. 13