Free FL Teacher Apprenticeship Program Helps Participants Earn Free BA Degree And Teaching Job

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In 2024, the Florida Education Association reported that Florida had a teacher shortage of around a teacher shortage of over 4,000 teachers. A new free teacher apprenticeship program offered by Pinellas County Schools may help address the shortage.

Florida House Bill 1035: This Bill, which created Chapter 1015 in Florida Statutes to codify "The Teacher's Bill Of Rights," has many different parts. One of them was to establish a teacher apprenticeship program and mentor bonus as an alternative way for people to enter the education profession.

The First School District To Implement The Apprenticeship Program: Currently, Pinellas County Schools is supporting hourly employees who are already employed with the district on their path to pursuing a career in either Exceptional Student Education or Primary Pre-K Education.

Pinellas County Schools is partnering with St. Pete College. The program covers all tuition, books, and fees. Plus, it offers a pay raise to apprentices in the program of $3 extra per hour for the first year, and $5 for the second. The apprentices are also mentored.

The program will accept 30 students each year, and the apprentices will get a teaching job upon exiting the program.

Nicole Gallucci-Landis, an HR Partner for Pinellas County Schools, believes the program is a win for both the district and the apprentices, explaining, in part:

“It takes our current support staff - and those are people like our paraprofessionals, our child development associates, our medical behavioral associates - and they already work in the classroom...This gives them an opportunity to earn a bachelor’s of education...then at the end of the program, we’ll employ them as a full-time teacher."