Gov. Reynolds announced the launch of a  first-in-the-nation  Teacher and Paraeducator Registered Apprenticeship Grant Program  Tuesday  during her annual Condition of the State Address.    

The grant program  will  provide  opportunities for  current  high school students to  earn a  paraeducator  certificate  and  associates  degree and paraeducators  to earn their  bachelor's degree  all while learning and working in  the classroom. The program will begin in the 2022-2023 school year.    

“This is a  transformational  opportunity  that  puts  our  schools at the center of growing their future workforce,” said Gov. Reynolds. “I can’t think of a better place to recruit our future  generations of  teachers and paraeducators than  in  our own classrooms.  Through this  first-in-the-nation  experience  today,  we'll be  shaping  our educators of tomorrow.”    

The Iowa Department of Education  (DOE)  and Iowa Workforce Development Agency (IWD)  will use $9M in American Rescue Plan  Act (ARPA)  Elementary and  Secondary  School  Education  Relief (ESSERIII)  funds to create the model program which will train and educate current high school students and paraeducators for the next step in their  teaching careers while they learn,  work, and get paid  in Iowa schools.  

Through the grant program, school districts will be required to partner with local community colleges or four-year colleges/universities  to provide the  required  education and training.  The DOE  and IWD  will provide up to $40,500 over a three-year period for each high school student that completes the Paraeducator Certificate or Associates degree model. The DOE will provide up to $47,000 over a two-year period for each paraeducator that  completes  the  bachelor’s degree  model.  Funding will support:      

  • Tuition and fees up to $7,000/year for up to three years at a community college.  

  • Tuition and fees up to $17,000/ year for up to two years at a public or private four-year college/university.  

  • Hourly rate of $12 for high school aides while still in school and  50% of wages  that districts currently pay  for aides and paraeducators for up to 30 hours per week for 36 weeks.    

The grant application,  deadlines  and further information  can be found  here.