密歇根州获联邦100.7万美元设特殊教育教师学徒项目：在职校工可带薪读学位考取教师资格
密歇根州就业与经济机会部（LEO）10月29日在兰辛宣布启动「密歇根特殊教育学徒通道」（MAPS）项目，由美国教育部为期五年、总额1,007,235美元的拨款支持，为在职学校员工开辟成为持证特殊教育教师的新路径。
项目面向辅助教师（paraprofessionals）、教学助理、代课教师与其他学校员工，采用注册学徒制：学员继续在校工作，修读576小时相关课程，并在持证特殊教育教师监督下完成8,000小时带薪在岗学习，同时取得学士学位，最终获得密歇根州教师资格及特殊教育专长认证。
学员在学徒期间保留原有工作、工资与福利，无须自付费用。项目由LEO与密歇根州教育部、密歇根终身教育进步与潜能部（MiLEAP）、阿尔玛学院（Alma College）及美国劳工联合会-产业工会联合会劳动力发展研究所合作推行。
该项目的蓝本是阿尔玛学院已有的「辅助教师转专业教师」（Para to Pro）项目，阿尔玛学院将担任这一学徒项目的团体主办方。
LEO部长苏珊·科尔宾（Susan Corbin）与该部劳动力发展主任克里斯塔·约翰逊（Krista Johnson）表示，全州特殊教育教师长期短缺，这条通道让熟悉学生与校园的在职员工不离职也能完成转型。
Michigan Launches Special Education Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway Backed by a $1,007,235 Federal Award
The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) announced in Lansing on October 29 the launch of Michigan Apprenticeship Pathways for Special Education (MAPS), supported by a five-year, $1,007,235 award from the U.S. Department of Education, creating a new route for school employees to become certified special education teachers.
The program is open to paraprofessionals, instructional assistants, substitute teachers and other school staff. Through a Registered Apprenticeship, participants keep working at their schools while completing 576 hours of related instruction and 8,000 hours of supervised, paid on-the-job learning under certified special education teachers, earning a bachelor's degree and finishing with full Michigan teacher certification with a special education endorsement.
Apprentices keep their jobs, wages and benefits and face no out-of-pocket costs. MAPS is a partnership among LEO, the Michigan Department of Education, the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP), Alma College and the AFL-CIO Workforce Development Institute.
The pathway builds on Alma College's existing Paraeducator-to-Special-Education-Teacher ('Para to Pro') program, and Alma College will serve as the apprenticeship's group sponsor.
LEO Director Susan Corbin and Krista Johnson, the department's workforce development director, said special education teachers are in long-standing short supply statewide, and that the pathway lets experienced school staff who already know the students and the buildings complete the transition without leaving their jobs.
来源：GSM·美国（原文链接）
图片来源：特殊教育教师与学生（资料图）。美国人口普查局摄，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / A special education teacher with a student (file photo). U.S. Census Bureau, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
