AB1904: Teachers: credentialed educator apprenticeship programs.

Amended IN Assembly March 09, 2026 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 1904 Introduced by Assembly Member Members Gipson and Muratsuchi February 12, 2026 An act to add Article 10.5 (commencing with Section 44375) to Chapter 2 of Part 25 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Education Code, and to add Sections 3075.4 and 3075.45 to the Labor Code, relating to teachers. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1904, as amended, Gipson. Teachers: credentialed educator apprenticeship programs. Under existing law, it is the public policy of this state to encourage the utilization of apprenticeship as a form of on-the-job training, when such training is cost effective in developing skills needed to perform public services. Existing law requires state and local public agencies to make a diligent effort to establish apprenticeship programs for apprenticeable occupations in their respective workforces. Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to, among other duties, establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials. Existing law requires, as a minimum requirement for a preliminary multiple subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential, the satisfactory completion of a program of professional preparation, as specified. This bill would require the commission and the Division of Apprenticeship Standards to partner in the dissemination, approval, and monitoring of credentialed educator apprenticeship programs in California, and to communicate apprenticeship requirements to professional preparation programs, local educational agencies, and other potential sponsors of credentialed educator apprenticeship programs. The bill, notwithstanding any other law, would authorize the commission to issue apprenticeship certificates or permits to educator candidates without a credential who are employed by local educational agencies and participating in approved commission-approved credentialed educator apprenticeship programs, as specified. specified, and would authorize the commission to adopt regulations for that purpose. The bill would authorize the commission and the division to enter into a memorandum of understanding to establish processes and procedures for information sharing, application review, and data collection and reporting, and would authorize the Chief of the Division of Apprenticeship Standards, in consultation with the commission, to issue rules and regulations that govern credentialed educator apprenticeship programs, including the approval and denial of programs, registration of agreements, program administration and procedures, evaluations, working conditions, and minimum standards, as specified. The bill would require an applicant for a new credentialed educator apprenticeship program or for the expansion of an existing credentialed educator apprenticeship program into a new geographic or credential area to submit specified documentation to the chief. The bill would require the division to present the apprenticeship program application to the commission for its review, as provided, and would require the commission, if it is satisfied that specified conditions have been met, to provide written notice of that fact to the chief. Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Traditional credentialed educator preparation requires candidates to student teach or serve pupils as part of a postbaccalaureate certification program. For most credentialed educator candidates, this service is unpaid and can present an obstacle to entering the profession. (b) Clinically rich pathways, such as educator residencies, are linked to strong preparation and retention. Apprenticeship, which relies on robust on-the-job training, similarly supports a “learning-by-doing” approach, but has not traditionally been associated with credentialed educator preparation. (c) Credentialed educator apprenticeship presents an opportunity for preparation programs and local educational agencies, along with their labor and community partners, to leverage state and federal funding to organize apprenticeship programs. Apprenticeship also presents the opportunity for candidates to be compensated for their time and increases their options to enter the profession through clinically rich pathways. In this way, credentialed educator apprenticeships can help remove barriers to recruitment and support retention, particularly in key shortage and growth areas, such as special education, early childhood education, bilingual education, and school counseling. Apprenticeship can also help to cultivate a workforce reflective of the state’s diverse school communities. (d) Apprenticeship should be an option for any existing credentialed educator preparation pathway and sponsored by a variety of entities, including county offices of education, institutions of higher education with credentialed educator preparation programs approved by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, local educational agencies and consortiums of local educational agencies, labor organizations, and nonprofit organizations with experience and expertise in credentialed educator preparation. (e) California requirements for credentialed educator apprenticeships should build upon existing state and federal requirements so that programs can be approved at the state and federal levels and avail themselves of multiple funding opportunities. In order to meet these requirements and align with credentialed educator preparation standards in California, the programs described pursuant to this act should align with competency-based or hybrid-based apprenticeship programs, as described in Section 3078.5 of the Labor Code. (f) The credentialed educator preparation pathway could begin as early as high school with youth apprenticeships in education that bridge high school and college coursework aligned to paid work-based learning. There are already many apprenticeship programs in early care and education, expanded learning, and teacher aide roles that are registered with the Division of Apprenticeship Standards and align with associate degree-level college courses. This act does not impact these existing programs, but rather it creates alignment between the Education Code and Labor Code to allow for apprenticeships that culminate in credentials and credentialed educator roles. SEC. 2. Article 10.5 (commencing with Section 44375) is added to Chapter 2 of Part 25 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Education Code, to read: Article 10.5. Credentialed Educator Apprenticeships Act 44375. This article shall be known, and may be cited, as the Credentialed Educator Apprenticeships Act. 44376. For purposes of this article, the following definitions apply: (a) “Division” means the Division of Apprenticeship Standards. (b) “Educator of record” means an individual with a credential issued by the commission demonstrating at least current enrollment in, and partial completion of, a professional preparation program and who is responsible for the delivery of instruction or services authorized by that credential to a class or caseload of pupils. (c) “Regionally accredited institution of higher education” means any institution of higher education accredited by any of the following accrediting bodies or their successor organizations: (1) The Higher Learning Commission. (2) The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. (3) The Middle States Commission on Higher Education. (4) The New England Commission of Higher Education. (5) The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. (6) The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. (7) The Western Association of Schools and Colleges-Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. (8) The Western Association of Schools and Colleges-Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities. 44377. (a) The commission shall partner with the division in the dissemination, approval, and monitoring of credentialed educator apprenticeship programs in California, as described in Section 3075.45 of the Labor Code. (b) The commission shall partner with the division to communicate apprenticeship requirements to professional preparation programs, local educational agencies, and other potential sponsors of credentialed educator apprenticeship programs. (c) When the commission receives a credentialed educator apprenticeship program application from the division, it shall confirm all of the following: (1) The applicant is, or is partnering with, a professional preparation program and, if applicable, an induction program, accredited by the commission to offer the program or programs with no major or probationary stipulations that it is proposing to offer for credentialed educator apprenticeships. (2) The credentialed educator apprenticeship program includes at least 300 hours of paid on-the-job training that complies with the standards set by the commission before an educator apprentice may serve as an educator of record. (3) The credentialed educator apprenticeship program requires an educator apprentice to earn their baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education before serving as an educator of record. (4) The credentialed educator apprenticeship program includes at least 200 hours of support, mentoring, and supervision per school year that complies with standards set by the commission. (d) If an educator preparation program or an induction program associated with an approved a commission-approved credentialed educator apprenticeship program fails to maintain accreditation from the commission, the commission shall immediately notify the division. (e) The commission shall include data on approved commission-approved credentialed educator apprenticeship programs on its internet website and in its relevant annual reports to the Legislature on teacher preparation and accreditation pursuant to this chapter. (f) The commission may enter into a memorandum of understanding with the division to establish processes and procedures for information sharing, application review, and data collection and reporting. (g) This section does not apply to existing or future apprenticeship programs in the education field that do not result in a credential issued by the commission, including, but not limited to, permits issued pursuant to Section 8301. 44378. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, the commission may issue apprenticeship certificates or permits to educator candidates without a credential who are employed by local educational agencies and participating in approved commission-approved credentialed educator apprenticeship programs, and who have successfully completed a criminal background check conducted under Sections 44339, 44340, and 44341 for credentialing purposes. (b) The commission may adopt regulations to implement this section. SEC. 3. Section 3075.4 is added to the Labor Code, to read: 3075.4. (a) An applicant for a new credentialed educator apprenticeship program or for the expansion of an existing credentialed educator apprenticeship program into a new geographic or credential area shall submit documentation showing all of the following to the Chief of the Division of Apprenticeship Standards: (1) The applicant is, or is partnering with, an educator professional preparation program and, if applicable, an induction program, accredited by the commission to offer the program or programs with no major or probationary stipulations that it is proposing to offer educator apprentices. (2) The proposed credentialed educator apprenticeship program includes at least 300 hours of paid on-the-job training before the educator apprentices may serve as educators of record, in compliance with standards set by the commission and as required by Section 44377 of the Education Code. (3) The proposed credentialed educator apprenticeship program requires educator apprentices to earn their baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education before serving as educators of record. (4) The proposed credentialed educator apprenticeship program provides mentorship to apprentices throughout their apprenticeship, as required by Section 44377 of the Education Code. (b) (1) Before approving an application for a credentialed educator apprenticeship program, the division shall present the apprenticeship program application to the commission for its review pursuant to Section 44377 of the Education Code. (2) If the commission confirms that the requirements of Section 44377 of the Education Code have been met, it shall provide written notice of that fact to the chief. (3) If the commission does not provide written notice pursuant to paragraph (2), the chief shall not approve the credentialed educator apprenticeship program. (c) Notwithstanding subdivision (a) of Section 3075, a credentialed educator apprenticeship program shall be administered by a joint apprenticeship committee, or unilateral management or labor apprenticeship committee. Where a collective bargaining agreement exists, a program shall be jointly sponsored. Joint apprenticeship committees shall be composed of an equal number of employer and employee representatives. (d) An apprentice pursuant to this section may be employed as a classified employee while also separately employed as a classified employee in another position, but the apprentice shall not perform the duties of their other classified position during their apprenticeship hours. (e) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply: (1) “Commission” means the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. (2) “Educator of record” means an individual with a credential issued by the commission demonstrating at least current enrollment in, and partial completion of, a professional preparation program and who is responsible for the delivery of instruction or services authorized by that credential to a class or caseload of pupils. (3) “Regionally accredited institution of higher education” means any institution of higher education accredited by any of the following accrediting bodies or their successor organizations: (A) The Higher Learning Commission. (B) The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. (C) The Middle States Commission on Higher Education. (D) The New England Commission of Higher Education. (E) The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. (F) The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. (G) The Western Association of Schools and Colleges-Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. (H) The Western Association of Schools and Colleges-Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities. (f) The requirements of this section are in addition to other requirements that may be imposed by statute or by regulation. (g) This section does not apply to existing or future apprenticeship programs in the education field that do not result in a credential issued by the commission, including, but not limited to, permits issued pursuant to Section 8301 of the Education Code. SEC. 4. Section 3075.45 is added to the Labor Code, to read: 3075.45. (a) The division may initiate deregistration proceedings to withdraw state approval of a credentialed educator apprenticeship program if its associated educator preparation program or induction program fails to maintain accreditation from the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. (b) The division shall partner with the Commission on Teacher Credentialing in the dissemination, approval, and monitoring of credentialed educator apprenticeship programs in California, as described in Section 44377 of the Education Code. (c) The division may enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to establish processes and procedures for information sharing, application review, and data collection and reporting. (d) (1) The chief, in consultation with the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, may issue rules and regulations that govern credentialed educator apprenticeship programs, including the approval and denial of programs, registration of agreements, program administration and procedures, evaluations, working conditions, and minimum standards. (2) All rules and regulations adopted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be consistent with Section 44377 of the Education Code and the rules and regulations adopted by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.