This session will spotlight Kansas’s pilot Youth Teacher Apprenticeship Program, implemented during the 2025–26 school year by Topeka Public Schools, Spring Hill Public Schools, and Liberal Public Schools. Designed as a “grow your own” strategy, the program blends paid, work-based learning within the teacher/training CTE pathway with intentional access to dual college credit, creating an early and sustainable pipeline for students interested in becoming educators. Moderated by Joel Gillaspie of the Kansas State Department of Education, who oversees the program statewide, this panel discussion will feature district leaders Laura Nichols (Topeka), Leah Good (Spring Hill), and Tasha Ebeling (Liberal). Each panelist will share their district’s unique approach to designing and implementing the pilot, including partnerships, scheduling, student supports, and lessons learned during the first year of operation. Attendees will gain practical insights into how districts of varying sizes and contexts are leveraging youth apprenticeships to strengthen educator pipelines, support student career exploration, and align CTE, higher education, and workforce goals in meaningful ways.
Licensure "Beginning July 1, 2028, Kansas professional licensed educators serving in specified positions will be required to demonstrate knowledge of the science of reading to renew their professional license. This session will clarify how this knowledge may be demonstrated, and how the licensure team will track and add seals of literacy to licenses."
This session will highlight Kansas’s Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program and the role it is playing in strengthening the state’s educator pipeline. With more than 350 teacher apprentices currently participating across nearly 80 school districts, the program provides a structured pathway for paraprofessionals and other school staff to earn their teaching credentials while continuing to work in their local schools. By combining paid on-the-job training with college coursework and mentorship, the program supports districts in developing and retaining highly qualified educators from within their own communities. Moderated by Joel Gillaspie of the Kansas State Department of Education, who oversees the program statewide, this panel discussion will feature leaders from Turner School District, ANW Special Education Cooperative, and Dodge City Public Schools. Each panelist will share how their district or cooperative has designed and implemented the Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program, including recruitment strategies, partnerships with higher education institutions, program supports for apprentices, and lessons learned from launching and sustaining the program. Attendees will gain practical insights into how districts and cooperatives are leveraging registered apprenticeships to address teacher shortages, expand access to the profession, and create sustainable “grow your own” pathways for future educators across Kansas.
