GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 2
SENATE BILL 508
Education/Higher Education Committee Substitute Adopted 4/9/25
Short Title: LL to CPL/Apprenticeship Program. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
March 26, 2025
*S508 -v-2*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO PROVIDE A PATHWAY TO A CONTINU ING PROFESSIONAL LICENSE 2
FOR TEACHERS TEACHIN G UNDER A LIMITED LICENSE, TO ESTABLISH THE 3
TEACHER APPRENTICESH IP PROGRAM, TO REPUR POSE FUNDS FROM THE 4
TEACHER APPRENTICE G RANT PROGRAM FOR THE TEACHER 5
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM, AND TO REQUIRE THE BOARD OF GOVERNOR S 6
OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AND THE STATE BOARD OF 7
COMMUNITY COLLEGES T O DEVELOP AN EXPEDIT ED TEACHER PIPELINE 8
PATHWAY. 9
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 10
11
PART I. CONVERTING A LIMITED LICENSE TO A CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL 12
LICENSE 13
SECTION 1. G.S. 115C-270.15 reads as rewritten: 14
"§ 115C-270.15. Examination requirements. 15
… 16
(e) Conversion to Continuing Professional License. – The Except as provided in 17
subsection (f) of this section, the State Board shall not convert an IPL or RL IPL, RL, or limited 18
license to a continuing professional license for a teacher who has not fulfilled the examination 19
requirements of this section. 20
(f) Waiver of Examination Requirements for Certain Individuals with Limited Licenses. 21
– The State Board shall convert a limited license to a continuing professional license for a teacher 22
who has available growth data under the Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS) 23
and has a positive growth score for two of the three most recent years for which growth scores 24
are available." 25
26
PART II. TEACHER APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM 27
SECTION 2.(a) Article 17D of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by 28
adding a new section to read: 29
"§ 115C-269.33. Teacher Apprenticeship Program. 30
(a) Definitions. – The following definitions shall apply in this section: 31
(1) Advanced Teaching Roles unit. – As defined in G.S. 115C-310.3(6). 32
(2) Apprentice. – A person who is employed as an apprentice by an apprenticeship 33
employer and meets all of the following criteria: 34
a. Holds a bachelor's degree. 35
b. Is eligible to hold or holds one of the following: 36 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 508-Second Edition
1. An emergency license. 1
2. A residency license. 2
3. A permit to teach issued by the Department in accordance with 3
rules adopted by the State Board of Education. 4
c. Submitted a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 5
(3) Apprenticeship employer. – An Advanced Teaching Roles unit that meets all 6
of the following criteria: 7
a. Has a registered apprenticeship program under requirements 8
established by the United States Department of Labor. 9
b. Employs apprentices under the Program. 10
(4) Department. – The Department of Public Instruction. 11
(5) Program. – The Teacher Apprenticeship Program. 12
(6) RFP. – Request for proposals. 13
(b) Program Established; Purpose. – There is established the Teacher Apprenticeship 14
Program as a competitive grant program for the purpose of increasing the number of 15
professionally licensed teachers in the State and improving teacher competency, student 16
outcomes, and teacher retention in the State. The Department of Public Instruction shall 17
administer the Program in collaboration with ApprenticeshipNC as set forth in this section. 18
(c) Request for Proposals. – No later than November 1 of each year, ApprenticeshipNC 19
shall issue an RFP for the Program. Advanced Teaching Roles units may submit proposals by 20
January 1 of the following calendar year. Proposals shall include at least the following 21
information: 22
(1) A plan to establish a registered teacher apprenticeship program in 23
collaboration with ApprenticeshipNC, including at least the following 24
information: 25
a. The number of apprentices the unit intends to employ using grant 26
funds for State-funded salary supplements, State-funded enrollment 27
expenses, or both. 28
b. Specific subject areas and grade levels in the local school 29
administrative unit with teacher shortages. 30
(2) A system of supports that would be provided for apprentices, including 31
qualifications of mentor teachers and a schedule of supervision. 32
(3) Alternative sources of funding to support apprenticeships that could be paired 33
with State funds received under the Program, including federal workforce 34
development funds. 35
(4) An explanation of how the unit would incorporate its registered teacher 36
apprenticeship program with its advanced teaching roles program to enhance 37
the learning environment for apprentices. 38
(5) Strategies to encourage candidates to accept an apprenticeship instead of 39
directly entering the teacher profession on a Residency License, Emergency 40
License, or permit to teach. 41
(d) Selection of Recipients. – By March 15 of each school year in which proposals are 42
submitted, ApprenticeshipNC shall review the proposals and select local school administrative 43
units to participate in the Program, beginning in the subsequent school year. ApprenticeshipNC 44
shall notify the Department of its selections, and the Department shall allocate funds to the 45
selected Advanced Teaching Roles units in accordance with subsection (e) of this section. 46
(e) Allocation of State Grant Funds. – To the extent funds are appropriated by the General 47
Assembly for this purpose, the Department shall allocate the funds for grants to apprenticeship 48
employers based on the number of apprentices the unit intends to employ receiving grant funds 49
for State-funded salary supplements, State-funded enrollment expenses, or both, up to a 50
maximum of 10 total apprentices per unit, as follows: 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 508-Second Edition Page 3
(1) Up to seven thousand five hundred dollars ($7,500) per apprentice per year, 1
plus any additional funds necessary for benefits, to provide salary supplements 2
for apprentices in accordance subdivision (3) of subsection (f) of this section. 3
(2) Up to five thousand dollars ($5,000) per apprentice per year for the costs of 4
enrollment of an apprentice in an institution of higher education in accordance 5
with subdivision (5) of subsection (f) of this section. 6
(f) Program Requirements. – The following minimum requirements shall apply to 7
apprentices and apprenticeship employers under the Program: 8
(1) Number of apprentices. – An apprenticeship employer shall employ no more 9
than a maximum of 10 total apprentices who receive grant funds for 10
State-funded salary supplements, State-funded enrollment expenses, or both. 11
An apprenticeship employer may employ additional apprentices receiving 12
funds for salary supplements or education expenses from other sources. 13
(2) Funds for positions. – An apprenticeship employer may employ apprentices 14
using State funds allotted for teacher assistant positions, with roles and 15
responsibilities modified to meet the requirements of the Program, or other 16
available funds. 17
(3) Salary supplements. – As follows: 18
a. An apprenticeship employer shall provide the following salary 19
supplements: 20
1. For each apprentice, up to a maximum of seven thousand five 21
hundred dollars ($7,500) per apprentice. 22
2. For each mentor teacher, up to a maximum of five thousand 23
dollars ($5,000) per mentor teacher. 24
b. An apprenticeship employer may provide a salary supplement for any 25
other teacher employed by the local school administrative unit who 26
agrees to become the teacher of record for additional students to 27
facilitate the operation of the registered apprenticeship program in that 28
unit, up to a maximum of three thousand dollars ($3,000). 29
(4) Mentors. – Each apprentice shall work full time in a classroom with a mentor 30
teacher who is a member of a team of teachers that is led by a teacher with an 31
advanced teaching role. For purposes of this subdivision, a mentor teacher 32
may include a classroom excellence teacher as defined in G.S. 115C-310.3(7). 33
(5) Enrollment costs. – An apprentice shall enroll in or remain enrolled in a 34
recognized educator preparation program. An apprenticeship employer may 35
provide up to a maximum of five thousand dollars ($5,000) per apprentice per 36
year for the costs of enrollment in an institution of higher education. These 37
funds shall only be used after the apprentice has exhausted all other 38
scholarships or grants covering the cost of attendance at an institution of 39
higher education, including federal Pell grants. 40
(6) Limitations. – An apprentice shall not do any of the following: 41
a. Serve as the teacher of record for any students. 42
b. Engage in substitute teaching for more than eight hours per week. 43
c. Work as an apprentice for more than three years. 44
(g) Term. – The Department shall award grant funds to selected Advanced Teaching 45
Roles units to serve as apprenticeship employers for one or more terms of three years. Prior to 46
the conclusion of a term, ApprenticeshipNC shall evaluate the success of the Program at the unit 47
and the compliance of the unit with the requirements of this section. At the conclusion of the 48
evaluation, ApprenticeshipNC may, in its discretion, renew the apprenticeship employer for an 49
additional term. Throughout the Program, an apprenticeship employer shall provide any 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 4 Senate Bill 508-Second Edition
information or access requested by ApprenticeshipNC to evaluate the registered apprenticeship 1
program pursuant to this section. 2
(h) Emergency Position Conversion. – Notwithstanding G.S. 115C-105.25(b), an 3
apprenticeship employer may convert one position allocated to the unit for classroom teachers to 4
its dollar equivalent at the salary on the first step of the "A" Teachers Salary Schedule for every 5
one apprentice employed by the unit who is receiving State grant funds if all of the following are 6
met: 7
(1) The apprentice receiving State grant funds would have been eligible to fill the 8
vacant position using a residency license, emergency license, or permit to 9
teach but was instead hired into the apprentice position. 10
(2) The funds are only used for one or more of the following purposes in 11
accordance with the requirements of the Program: 12
a. Salary supplements for apprentices. 13
b. Salary supplements for mentor teachers. 14
c. Costs of enrollment in an institution of higher education. 15
d. Salary supplements for teachers identified in sub-subdivision b. of 16
subdivision (3) of subsection (f) of this section. 17
(i) Administration. – Of the funds appropriated to the Department of Public Instruction 18
for the Program for each fiscal year, the Department shall allocate the greater of fifteen percent 19
(15%) or three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) to ApprenticeshipNC to do all of the 20
following in consultation with the Department: 21
(1) Outline the duties and responsibilities of apprentices, including on-the-job 22
training requirements. 23
(2) Collaborate with recognized educator preparation programs to establish 24
education requirements for apprentices and revise curriculum requirements 25
for student teaching to include apprenticeships under the Program. 26
(3) Create minimum competencies for apprentices that reflect the progressive 27
acquisition of ability. 28
(4) Create resources that can be used by apprenticeship employers to select and 29
train mentor teachers, including the responsibilities of a mentor teacher and 30
background information on teacher apprenticeship programs. 31
(5) Develop a process to monitor apprentices in their first years of teaching after 32
successful completion of the Program to evaluate the qualities of teacher 33
candidates that correlate to successful outcomes and lower teacher turnover 34
rates. 35
(6) Assist apprenticeship employers with the following: 36
a. Combining State and federal funds to maximize the number of 37
apprentices in the Program. 38
b. Complying with applicable State and federal law. 39
(7) Develop a training module for mentor teachers that establishes standards for 40
mentor teachers under the Program and incorporates, where applicable, any 41
preexisting standards for mentor teachers. 42
(j) Report. – No later than March 15 of each year, ApprenticeshipNC shall report to the 43
Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on the Program, including at least the 44
following information: 45
(1) The impact of the Program for each apprenticeship employer on the following: 46
a. The number of teachers, disaggregated by licensure type. 47
b. Student outcomes. 48
c. Teacher retention. 49
(2) Successful strategies and best practices used by apprenticeship employers. 50
(3) Any barriers to expanding the Program." 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 508-Second Edition Page 5
SECTION 2.(b) G.S. 115C-269.32 is repealed. 1
SECTION 2.(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law or a provision of the 2
Committee Report described in Section 43.2 of S.L. 2023-134 to the contrary, of the one million 3
dollars ($1,000,000) in recurring funds allocated for the Teacher Apprentice Grant Program 4
pursuant to G.S. 115C-269.32, beginning in the 2025-2026 fiscal year, these funds shall instead 5
be used for the Teacher Apprenticeship Program established pursuant to subsection (a) of this 6
section. 7
SECTION 2.(d) This section becomes effective July 1, 2025. ApprenticeshipNC 8
shall issue the initial request for proposals pursuant to G.S. 115C-269.33, as enacted by 9
subsection (a) of this section, by November 1, 2025, for applications from local school 10
administrative units to establish registered teacher apprenticeship programs beginning in the 11
2026-2027 school year. Notwithstanding G.S. 115C-269.33(j), as enacted by subsection (a) of 12
this section, ApprenticeshipNC shall provide its initial report on the impact of the Teacher 13
Apprenticeship Program by March 15, 2027. 14
15
PART III. EXPEDITED TEACHER PIPELINE PAT HWAY STUDY 16
SECTION 3. No later than February 15, 2026, the Board of Governors of The 17
University of North Carolina, in collaboration with the State Board of Community Colleges, shall 18
report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on a plan for an expedited pathway 19
for North Carolina high school students to enter the teaching profession. The plan shall include 20
at least the following components: 21
(1) Options for an accelerated transition pathway that allows high school students 22
to earn college credits leading to a teaching license while participating in 23
structured, paid, or other experiential learning in the classroom, including 24
applicable program design and sequencing components needed to achieve that 25
goal. 26
(2) Maximize usage and transferability of at least the following coursework 27
completion opportunities: 28
a. College transfer pathways provided through the Career and College 29
Promise Program that support entry into a recognized educator 30
preparation program. 31
b. Community college coursework leading to completion of an associate 32
degree related to teacher preparation. 33
c. Online or asynchronous coursework provided at a constituent 34
institution of The University of North Carolina leading to a bachelor's 35
degree. 36
d. Enrollment in an associate degree program or a bachelor's degree 37
program while serving (i) as a full-time employee in a public school 38
unit and (ii) as a teacher assistant or apprentice in a registered 39
apprenticeship program pursuant to G.S. 115C-269.33, as enacted by 40
Section 2(a) of this act. 41
(3) Any legislative changes or appropriations needed to implement the plan. 42
43
PART IV. EFFECTIVE DATE 44
SECTION 4. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes 45
law. Section 1 of this act applies to limited licenses expiring on or after that date. 46