The Bayfield School District is one of nine districts in the state participating in the Teacher Degree Apprenticeship program, an “earn while you learn” program designed for working adults to gain paid classroom experience while simultaneously earning teaching degree credits.
The program, which was launched in 2024 following State Board Act 23-087 being signed into law, is overseen by the Colorado Department of Education and supported by CareerWise.
It was created to address the growing teacher shortage, and is one of more than 20 pathways into the teaching profession presented by the CDE, said Colorado Department of Education Chief Talent Officer Margarita Tovar.
“While the educator shortage has been occurring for decades, we are seeing that over the past couple of years the problem has been exacerbated after the pandemic,” Tovar said. “Just last year, districts reported that they had to fill about 7,700 positions, and more and more, we’re seeing that districts are relying on emergency credentialing and substitute authorizations to fill these needs to get teachers by the first day of school. The shortage is prevalent, and it’s something that the department is committed to supporting districts with.”
The Salida, Aspen, Harrison and Eagle County school districts are also participating in the program, among others.
Rural districts ‒ which are experiencing an elevated need for teachers ‒ especially benefit from the 2- to 4-year program, Tovar said.
Rural areas are having to resort to hiring international teachers to fill the gaps, and while those exchange models provide valuable cultural benefits to schools, that type of recruitment is usually not a long-term solution for solving teacher shortages, she said.
“In Colorado, we’re seeing a higher need for teachers in rural areas, and an overall need for more special education and mental health professionals, which includes social workers, psychologists and counselors,” she said. “When our students have educators who are educated by folks who mirror their upbringing, their community's values, their language, we see that students perform better, particularly in rural school districts.”
Tessa Harrmann is one of two students being mentored through the program. She does hands-on teaching with students at Bayfield High School and Bayfield Intermediate School, and takes online courses through Colorado Mountain College. She’s on track to graduate from the program in May 2027.
“This kind of program really helps, because you’re working and making a paycheck at the same time as going to school,” Harrmann said. “It’s giving you an opportunity to not (have to) work a side job at somewhere like a restaurant. You’re in the field of teaching while making a paycheck, and then you’re also getting to see how students react, and how the school system works.”
Harrmann said her experience in the program has been “amazing.”
“You take your EDU classes, and they align with what you're doing as a paraprofessional,” she said. “You’re able to connect a lot of what you’re learning (in online classes) to what you’re doing in the schools.”
In addition to her regular classroom work, Harrmann has taken charge of the Bayfield color guard team.
Harrmann’s mentor, third grade Bayfield Intermediate School teacher Wendy Benne, said the experience of supporting up-and-coming teachers has been rewarding, and that the program’s on-the-ground model helps her train the next cohort of teachers effectively.
“Having an apprentice in the room creates a really collaborative environment where I can model teaching strategies, give feedback and support them as they develop their own teaching style,” Benne said. “... It’s a hands-on way to help them become confident and well-prepared teachers.”
epond@durangoherald.com
