1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

WEA’s Teaching Apprenticeship The legislative budget proposals did not include funding for WEA’s Apprenticeship Residency in Teaching (ART) program.  A recent report using data from Washington’s public schools found our state’s special education teacher production is at 62% of the job market needs.  Year after year this gap will continue to grow without new comprehensive solutions.  When schools cannot find a qualified teacher, they turn to emergency certified substitute teachers. These positions cannot go unfilled. Our students with disabilities deserve to have access to well-prepared teachers and to fund teacher apprenticeships in special education.