Students often pick their college major at 18-years-old and attempt to figure out what they want to do for the rest of their lives by the time they graduate college. This can be unrealistic for some, as plans and interests may change. The University of Iowa, Iowa State and the University of Northern Iowa have created a program to help people easily change their careers to become teachers. The program is the Regents Alternative Pathway to Iowa Licensure (RAPIL).
In order to be accepted into the RAPIL program, there are a few requirements. Applicants must have at least a bachelor’s degree, a minimum of three years of work completed in their career field and show enthusiasm and commitment towards becoming a teacher. Interested individuals must apply online, and after applications have closed, applicants will go through interviews with a committee of higher education and RAPIL staff in order to be chosen.
Anjuli Meyers (she/her), RAPIL program coordinator, explains how the program first started in 2010.
“The Iowa Teacher Intern License Pathway—Answering the call to teach was created by Iowa’s three regents institutions’ education program in response to state rule 272.2 (13), as directed to the Iowa Board of Education Examiners in 2001. The board of regents, along with the Iowa Department of Education and Board of Educational Examiners, initially established the Iowa teacher intern licensure pathway as a pilot program in 2010,” Meyers said.
The program name was then changed in 2013 to emphasize the role of the Regents in the program.
The program takes two years to complete, making it an easy transition into teaching from a member’s current career.
“During the first year, RAPIL candidates take five foundational educational courses, along with observation and field experience hours in secondary classrooms. The courses are designed for full-time working professionals and meet one night a week on Zoom and one Saturday a month in person. We use a hybrid model of online and in-person classes to allow more flexibility and participation,” Meyers said.
The next year of the program transitions into a full-time internship position in the classroom. RAPIL students are employed through the school district and receive a salary and other benefits. They only take one RAPIL course per semester, but still get support from RAPIL staff as they go through the internship year. Successfully completing the internship year rewards students with a recommendation for an Iowa Initial License.
Even though it takes two years to complete the program and can be challenging to juggle, Meyers explains what makes RAPIL special and what drew her to the program.
“As an instructional coach in an urban school district, I had mentored a RAPIL student towards the beginning of the program. Throughout my years as an instructional coach and building administrator, I continued to recommend the program for anyone interested in pursuing a career in teaching and had already completed an undergraduate degree. I knew my passion for working with new teachers and experience in education would be a good fit for the program. The program is designed to work with adult learners and prepares teachers for real, authentic experiences,” Meyers said.
All RAPIL instructors have real experience in the teaching field who fully prepare RAPIL students for the classroom.
“Our courses are taught by current, previous or retired educators and administrators, which allow them the unique experience of working with teachers in the field and understanding what high-quality teaching is. All courses meet state requirements for licensure and are delivered in a way to model highly effective instructive strategies. Our participants have clear understandings of the expectations for teachers in the classroom,” Meyers said.
Meyers notes the diversity of previous jobs people in the program held.
“It is a wide variety, we have engineers, lawyers, scientists, retired military, artists, musicians, athletes and so much more,” Meyers said.
