In a major step forward for private school education, an initiative by Teach Florida, a member of the Teach Coalition, and Tamim Academy has secured approval from the U.S. Department of Labor to launch the first federally registered teacher apprenticeship program serving private schools. The program is designed to address the growing teacher shortage and create sustainable, high-quality pathways into the profession.
The initiative, developed by Tamim Academy’s national headquarters (Tamim HQ), a network of private Jewish schools and launching first in its Boca Raton location, offers aspiring teachers a fully funded Master’s degree in Education(M.Ed.) through Gratz College, paired with full-time, paid apprenticeships under seasoned mentor teachers across the Tamim school network. The two-year program not only lowers the barrier to entry for prospective teachers but also creates a clear track for advancement into head teaching roles.
The program mirrors public-sector apprenticeship efforts that have seen success in more than 40 states, but is the first of its kind approved for a private school setting.
Teach Florida, a member of Teach Coalition—a local movement advocating for government funding and resources for nonpublic schools—recognized Tamim Academy’s expertise in innovative Jewish school models, and selected it as a strategic partner to pioneer the federal apprenticeship model in this sector. Teach Florida collaborated closely with Tamim HQ, the U.S. Department of Labor and 40-plus stakeholders—including lay leaders, educators and school administrators—to design a program uniquely tailored to the needs of Jewish day schools.
“Jewish day-school education faces real challenges, top among them a shortage of teachers,” said Holly Cohen, founder and CEO of Tamim Academy. “When we combine vision with action and work together with mission-aligned partners, unimaginable things become possible. By opening much-needed new pathways for passionate educators to enter the field, this program will strengthen the pipeline of mission-driven teachers that Tamim and all Jewish day schools urgently need.”
“This groundbreaking partnership is an important step in piloting a new way to build the teacher pipeline that our communities need,” said Danny Aqua, director of special projects at Teach Florida. “We invite other schools to reach out to us to learn more about how to develop their own teacher apprenticeship programs.”
With federal approval secured, Teach Coalition plans to support other private schools across Florida in replicating the model to meet the growing demand for qualified educators. Any Tamim Academy location across the country can work with Tamim HQ to become an eligible employer under the program, opening up new opportunities to strengthen their teaching teams and invest in the next generation of Jewish educators.
To apply for the apprentice program at Tamim Academy, see: https://tamimacademy.org/apprenticeship/.
