The Idaho State Board of Education created the Teacher Apprenticeship program in 2024 as an alternative pathway for people to become certified teachers, with an intent to fill job openings across the state. Two years later, a few apprentices have completed the program and are ready to continue their career as certified teachers with nationally recognized credentials from the U.S. Department of Labor. They both have intentions to stay and teach in rural areas of Idaho.

Julie Goff

Goff has been working at Castleford School District for a number of years. She started as a substitute teacher, then worked with maintenance staff and kitchen staff and lastly became a paraprofessional for seven years. Her principal approached her with the Registered Apprenticeship opportunity to become a teacher and she said, “let’s do this.” She knew she was ready to continue the upward trajectory of her career.

“I didn’t want to step away to do the next thing. It made a lot of sense to say, ‘hey this program allows you to step up and help out more and provides more help at a home that you built,’” Goff said. “Rather than, quit your job and go get a four-year degree.”

Apprentices are required to complete 6,000 hours to become a certified teacher with a combination of school work from a college and in-classroom teaching during the span of the program. However, with Goff’s previous experience as a paraprofessional, she only had to complete 2,000 hours.

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