National Grow Your Own Conference Registration to Open Soon
The agenda has been finalized for the 3rd Annual National Convening on Registered Apprenticeships in Teaching taking place in New Orleans on Jan. 28-30, 2026. Registration will be opening soon. This event has sold out the last two years, so make sure to register early.
New Flexibility for RAP-T Apprentices Serving as Teacher of Record
In partnership with the ESPB, NDDPI has announced new flexibility regarding the RAP-T restriction that previously prohibited participants from serving as a Teacher of Record (TOR) while enrolled in the program.
The joint Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Educator Preparation Providers (EPPs) and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) has historically barred apprentices from serving as TOR until all certification and preparation requirements were met. However, in response to recent district requests and the urgent need to meet classroom demands for the 2025–26 school year, due to a critical shortage of licensed teachers, limited exceptions have now been introduced:
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Pre-Service Teaching Authorization – Apprentices who have completed all degree coursework except for student teaching may apply for this authorization through ESPB.
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Alternate Access License – Individuals with a four-year degree and at least 30 credits in the content area to be taught may apply for this license through ESPB.
In both cases, apprentices must submit all required documentation and receive the appropriate authorization before serving as TOR. Additional details are available on the ESPB website:
EPPs and LEAs are strongly encouraged to ensure that all placement decisions comply with these updated provisions. Licensure-related questions should be directed to Dr. Rebecca Pitkin and program-related questions to Dr. Lynn Hammonds.
Read the full memo here.
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Participating RAP-T EPPs Asked to Fill Apprenticeship Spots by December
North Dakota Educator Preparation Providers (EPPs) participating in NDDPI’s RAP-T are asked to meet their assigned number of apprenticeship enrollment spaces by December 2025.
Following recent discussions with the Federal Project Officer overseeing NDDPI’s SAEF Grant—which funds this program—it has been confirmed that no additional SAEF Base Grant funding will be available after June 30, 2026. This funding has supported administrative efforts and wraparound services for the Competitive Grant.
To ensure optimal use of remaining resources, EPPs must:
- Complete the EPP online survey by Sept. 30, 2025, indicating whether they will meet their funded slot allocations. Unfilled slots may be reallocated to other approved apprenticeship activities.
- Notify NDDPI of all new apprentices by Dec. 1, 2025, using the required Rapids Excel file.
- Enroll all new apprentices by Jan. 31, 2026.
EPPs with questions should contact Dr. Lynn Hammonds.
Meet RAP-T Apprentice Hannah Navarro
Hannah Navarro is a positive behavior technician at Lewis and Clark Elementary School in Fargo. She is currently enrolled at Western Governors University (WGU), working toward a dual license in Education. When she’s not doing schoolwork, she enjoys reading, spending time with family and friends, and soaking up the sun.
Hannah’s journey into education began at age 16 when she started working in childcare. Since then, she has found joy in building positive and meaningful relationships with children, supporting them as they grow and learn.
She shares that the biggest challenge in the apprenticeship program is finding time for the academic side of things. “I enjoy waking up and going to my job every day, so having that be the motivator to continue working hard in my classes really helps,” she says.
For Hannah, the greatest benefit of the apprenticeship program is clear: “Hands down, gaining all this knowledge and earning an education degree debt-free. I never thought I’d be able to become a teacher without this program.”
Her advice to others? “When things get hard and you want to throw in the towel, just remember why you started.”
This summer, Hannah shared her experiences during a presentation on North Dakota’s apprenticeship program at the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) conference in North Carolina.
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QUESTIONS?
This monthly newsbrief is a collaborative partnership between NDDPI and the ESPB. Questions can be addressed to the following:
Laurie Matzke, Chief of Program Development & Growth, NDDPI
lmatzke@nd.gov at (701) 328-2284
Dr. Lynn Hammonds, Program Manager, NDDPI
lhammonds@nd.gov at (701) 328-2072
Dr. Rebecca Pitkin, Executive Director, ESPB
rpitkin@nd.gov at (701) 328-9646
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