EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*sb0084*
SENATE BILL 84
C3, F1, F2 4lr0630
SB 668/23 – FIN (PRE–FILED) CF HB 116
By: Senator Rosapepe
Requested: September 13, 2023
Introduced and read first time: January 10, 2024
Assigned to: Finance
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 2, 2024
CHAPTER ______
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, and in 7
consultation with the State Department of Education, to develop a high school–level 8
apprenticeship; requiring a sponsor to partner with institutions of higher education 9
to offer postsecondary education credits under a teacher apprenticeship program; 10
authorizing the Maryland Department of Labor to award a certain amount in a 11
certain fiscal year to a sponsor to develop and launch a teacher apprenticeship 12
program; requiring the CTE Committee to determine collaborate with the State 13
Department of Education to review and consider whether certain changes to rules, 14
regulations, procedures, or funding of the State Department of Education are 15
necessary to implement the Grant Program; and generally relating to teacher 16
apprenticeships in the State. 17
BY adding to 18
Article – Labor and Employment 19
Section 11–607 20
Annotated Code of Maryland 21
(2016 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 22
2 SENATE BILL 84
Preamble 1
WHEREAS, Apprenticeship is an effective mode of learning academic, employability, 2
and occupational skills for most professions. Apprenticeships widen access to rewarding 3
careers, enhance the productivity of workers, and strengthen the engagement of learners 4
as they apply what they learn in a career–oriented job. Apprenticeships meet the demand 5
by employers for skilled professionals with experience who understand all aspects of an 6
occupation; and 7
WHEREAS, Apprenticeships in the teaching profession can help meet the demand 8
for teachers in Maryland in ways that encourage diversity and ensure quality. Becoming a 9
K–12 teacher through apprenticeship lowers financial barriers to full certification, thereby 10
attracting qualified individuals from low–income, bilingual, and African American 11
communities. Teacher apprenticeships develop a cohort of individuals qualified to work as 12
teachers and paraeducators in the State. Teacher apprenticeships take full advantage of 13
the enthusiasm of young people who begin their apprenticeships in high school. By the time 14
they become fully qualified, teachers trained through apprenticeship would have 3 to 5 15
years of classroom experience; and 16
WHEREAS, Apprenticeships benefit local education agencies by expanding the 17
availability and mix of teaching talent and by attracting teachers who have ties and 18
commitment to local communities. Another benefit is the ability of local education agencies 19
to tailor the teacher training to best meet the needs of the school system; and 20
WHEREAS, Teacher apprenticeships are already successful in the United Kingdom 21
and Australia and are starting to penetrate U.S. school systems. The U.S. Department of 22
Labor currently recognizes teaching apprenticeship programs of 12 states, including 23
Arkansas, California, Colorado, Michigan, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, and Wyoming. 24
The specifications of well–developed functions and competencies for effective teachers are 25
increasingly available and can help a teacher apprenticeship program yield an increased 26
supply of committed and capable pre–K and K–12 teachers; now, therefore, 27
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 28
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 29
Article – Labor and Employment 30
11–607. 31
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 32
INDICATED. 33
(2) “CTE COMMITTEE” MEANS THE CAREER AND TECHNICAL 34
EDUCATION COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED UNDER § 21–209 OF THE EDUCATION 35
ARTICLE. 36
SENATE BILL 84 3
(3) “GRANT PROGRAM” MEANS THE TEACHER APPRENTICESHIP 1
STARTUP GRANT PROGRAM. 2
(4) “SPONSOR” MEANS AN ORGANIZATIO N THAT DEVELOPS AND 3
IMPLEMENTS A TEACHER APPRENTICESHIP PROGR AM. 4
(B) THERE IS A TEACHER APPRENTICESHIP STARTUP GRANT PROGRAM IN 5
THE DEPARTMENT . 6
(C) THE PURPOSE OF THE GRANT PROGRAM IS TO: 7
(1) PROVIDE HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS AS WELL AS 8
CAREER CHAN GERS OPPORTUNITIES T O BEGIN A CAREER IN EDUCATION IN 9
MARYLAND; 10
(2) DEVELOP A COHORT OF INDIVIDUALS QUALIFIE D TO WORK AS 11
PARAEDUCATORS AND TEACHERS IN THE STATE; AND 12
(3) ENCOURAGE COUNTY BOA RDS OF EDUCATION TO HIRE 13
APPRENTICES . 14
(D) A SPONSOR PARTICIPATIN G IN A TEACHER APPRE NTICESHIP PROGRAM : 15
(1) SHALL CONSIST OF AT LEAST THREE LOCAL SC HOOL SYSTEMS ; 16
AND 17
(2) MAY CONSIST OF : 18
(I) UNIONS REPRESENTING SCHOOL SYSTEM EMPLOY EES; 19
(II) ADDITIONAL LOCAL SCH OOL SYSTEMS; AND 20
(III) INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS . 21
(E) (1) A SPONSOR PARTICIPATIN G IN A TEACHER APPRE NTICESHIP 22
PROGRAM SHALL : 23
(I) ESTABLISH A MULTIYEA R REGISTERED APPRENT ICESHIP, 24
WITH APPROVAL FROM T HE MARYLAND APPRENTICESHIP AND TRAINING COUNCIL, 25
THAT DEVELOPS MAY DEVELOP A CAREER PATH AS FOL LOWS: 26
1. LEVEL ONE IS A TUTOR; 27
2. LEVEL TWO IS A PARAEDUCATOR ; AND 28
4 SENATE BILL 84
3. LEVEL THREE IS A TEACHER ; 1
(II) PARTNER WITH INSTITU TIONS OF HIGHER EDUC ATION TO 2
OFFER POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION CREDITS UN DER A TEACHER APPRENTICESHIP 3
PROGRAM; 4
(III) CONSULT WITH LOCAL S CHOOL SYSTEMS AND UN IONS 5
REPRESENTING SCHOOL EMPLOYEES ON THE DES IGN OF THE APPRENTIC ESHIP; 6
(IV) IN COORDINATION WITH THE CTE COMMITTEE, SUBJECT 7
TO SUBSECTION (H)(1) OF THIS SECTION , DEVELOP A HIGH SCHOOL–LEVEL 8
REGISTERED APPRENTIC ESHIP; AND 9
(V) COORDINATE WITH EXIS TING GROW–YOUR–OWN 10
PROGRAMS, GRANT–FUNDED EFFORTS , EXISTING CTE PATHWAYS, AND 11
EDUCATORS RISING. 12
(2) AN EMPLOYER IN THE AP PRENTICESHIP PROGRAM SHALL PAY 13
APPRENTICES COMPENSA TION CONSISTENT WITH OTHER EMPLOYERS IN THE SAM E 14
FIELD. 15
(3) (I) NOTHING IN THIS SECTI ON ALTERS THE REQUIR EMENTS OR 16
RULES FOR TEACHER CERTIFIC ATION. 17
(II) A LEVEL ONE OR LEVEL TWO APPRENTICE MAY NO T SERVE 18
AS A TEACHER OF RECO RD. 19
(III) AN APPRENTICE SHAL L COMPLY WITH THE RE QUIREMENTS 20
OF THE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR BACKGRO UND CHECKS, REGARDLESS OF AGE 21
OR BACKGROUND . 22
(4) A HIGH SCHOOL –LEVEL APPRENTICESHIP UNDER A TEACHER 23
APPRENTICESHIP PROGR AM SHALL: 24
(I) ALLOW A STUDENT PART ICIPATING IN THE TEA CHER 25
APPRENTICESHIP TO MA XIMIZE ATTAINMENT IN COLLEGE–LEVEL CREDITS 26
THROUGH: 27
1. ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES ; 28
2. AN EARLY COLLEGE PRO GRAM, OR DUAL 29
ENROLLMENT AT A STUD ENT’S HIGH SCHOOL OR AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHE R 30
EDUCATION; AND 31
SENATE BILL 84 5
3. A TEACHER PREPARATION CTE PROGRAM; AND 1
(II) ALLOW A STUDENT TO C OMPLETE COURSEWORK A ND 2
TRAINING THROUGH AN INNOVATIVE SCHOOL SC HEDULING MODEL SO TH AT THE 3
STUDENT CAN COMPLETE THE APPRENTICESHIP ’S TUTORING REQUIREME NTS 4
DURING REGULAR SCHOO L HOURS AND OUTSIDE REGULAR SCHOOL HOURS . 5
(F) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL : 6
(I) ADMINISTER THE GRANT PROGRAM; AND 7
(II) AWARD A GRANT TO A S PONSOR THAT MEETS TH E 8
REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION. 9
(2) TO RECEIVE A GRANT UN DER THE GRANT PROGRAM, A 10
SPONSOR’S APPRENTICESHIP MUST: 11
(I) MEET THE REQUIREMENT S OF THIS SECTION; 12
(II) HAVE UNION PARTICIPA TION; AND 13
(III) BE APPROVED BY THE MARYLAND APPRENTICESHIP AND 14
TRAINING COUNCIL. 15
(G) THE DEPARTMENT MAY AWARD UP TO $500,000 $225,000 TO A 16
SPONSOR FOR DEVELOPM ENT AND LAUNCH OF A TEACHER APPRENTICESH IP 17
PROGRAM FROM STATE OR FEDERAL FUND S. 18
(H) THE CTE COMMITTEE SHALL : 19
(1) WHEN COORDINATING WI TH A SPONSOR TO DEVE LOP A HIGH 20
SCHOOL–LEVEL REGISTERED APP RENTICESHIP IN ACCOR DANCE WITH SU BSECTION 21
(E)(1)(IV) OF THIS SECTION , CONSULT WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF 22
EDUCATION ON THE DEVE LOPMENT OF THE APPRE NTICESHIP; AND 23
(2) DETERMINE COLLABORATE WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF 24
EDUCATION TO REVIEW A ND CONSIDER WHETHER ANY CHANGES TO THE RULES , 25
REGULATIONS, PROCEDURES , OR FUNDING OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF 26
EDUCATION ARE NECESSA RY TO IMPLEMENT THE GRANT PROGRAM. 27
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 28
1, 2024. 29