Two area school districts have received funding from Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) to add registered education-related apprenticeship programs to their curriculums. Of the $3.4 million in grants announced this (Tuesday) morning, the South Central Calhoun (SCC) Community School District will receive $141,600, while the Panorama Community School District will receive $114,000. SCC will use its funding to grow and retain the local education workforce by creating a teacher/paraeducator program, which will offer on-the-job training, mentoring, and instruction to four apprentices through a partnership with Buena Vista University (BVU). Panorama is adding three apprenticeship slots to address the district’s need for special education instructors via financial aid and professional development as they pursue full licensure. Gov. Kim Reynolds says, “Registered Apprenticeships are a perfect method to train the teachers of tomorrow with extensive, in-the-classroom experience–leading to graduates who are better prepared to succeed in their career from day one. We’ve received such a positive response to the first round of awards, I couldn’t be more excited to expand the Teacher & Paraeducator program to more school districts.” Nine other districts were selected for grant funding, and a list of those schools is included below.
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