Apprenticeship program grows paraprofessionals into teachers
In May 2023, in response to a teacher shortage that confronted South Dakota, the Department of Education (DOE), in partnership with the Department of Labor and Regulation (DLR) and the Board of Regents (BOR), created the Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway (TAP) program.
The program aims to address the teacher shortage with a response that relies on local resources: the talented and dedicated paraprofessionals who are already working in classrooms throughout South Dakota.
The program makes it possible for paraprofessionals to combine their classroom experience with an education from Northern State University (NSU) or Dakota State University (DSU), ultimately leading to full teacher certification in South Dakota. The paraprofessionals continue to work throughout the process, under the tutelage of a mentor who teaches at the school where the paraprofessional serves.
John Oleson, a teacher who now serves as the dean of students and assistant principal at New Underwood School District, serves as a mentor for Rickkie Martinmaas, who is going through the program this year. “I think my biggest job as a mentor is just being supportive,” he said. “I’ve been in education for so many years, and I’ve seen so many changes. I’m here to help her navigate the process, and, mostly, to support in any way I can.”
Martinmaas joined the program in the summer of 2024. She currently works as a special education paraprofessional at New Underwood; when she completes her degree, she hopes to teach middle or high school English Language Arts. She currently is completing coursework through NSU while also doing her pre-service student teaching in the classroom at New Underwood.
“There are a few of [the college courses] that are pretty intense,” Martinmaas said. “It’s very writing-intensive because of my major. But they have been really great, informative classes. I’ve learned a lot in them, and they’ve been fantastic.”
While doing the coursework and the pre-student teaching, Martinmaas continues to serve as a special education para. She enjoys working with the students, and having a mentor at her school is helpful for her to juggle the load. “He (Oleson) has always been really supportive of my schooling. He gives me advice for the big things, but also the tiniest things. He tells me I’ve got this, that it’ll be okay. It’s pretty cool,” said Martinmaas.
Martinmaas is on track to begin student teaching in the spring 2025 semester, with a graduation date set for May 2025. She hopes to be teaching at New Underwood for the 2025-26 school year. Oleson hopes she’ll be there too.
“I’m so appreciative that we have this program for paras to teachers,” Oleson said. “It’s a huge thing; most of the paras in our school are very involved in classes at the school. They are devoted to the school and community like the teachers are, and the ones we have going through the program have great relationships with the kids already.”