Midland University Receives Grant to Aid in Paraprofessional Development Across Nebraska
Midland University has recently received a $1.6 million grant from the Nebraska Department of Education, which will cover tuition and fees for 57 paraprofessionals across Nebraska to become certified teachers. The money was made available through legislative state money as well as funding from the U.S. Department of Labor.
As part of the Teacher Career Ladder Online Apprenticeship Program, Midland will partner with 19 districts across the state to identify qualified paras to enter the program.
Midland installed its TCL program eight years ago and in that time, has seen more than 100 paras graduate through the program. “We are proud to have a 94 percent completion rate in this program. The paraeducators who embark on this journey work full-time while maintaining a full-time course load,” said Dr. Cammy Romanuck Murphy, Associate Dean of Graduate Programs and Strategic Partnerships. “The fact that 94 percent of them have completed their program while juggling several work and life responsibilities speaks volumes to their work ethic and commitment to education.”
“This high completion rate can also be attributed to the outstanding collaboration with our partnering districts, who are dedicated to ensuring we are providing appropriate services and support to the apprentices. NDE has put a strong emphasis on helping solve a critical teacher shortage that exists in Nebraska. This funding helps clear a significant barrier for our para educators, and our hope for them is to stay in their districts and in Nebraska.”
In 2024, Midland received the Nebraska “Grow Your Own” Teacher Apprenticeship Competitive Grant that provided competitive grant funding to in-state, approved Educator Preparation Provider applicants. Through that grant, Midland partnered with eight districts in the metro area to identify qualified paraprofessional educators. Seven of those partners are back for this second round with 12 new districts, including those in central and western Nebraska, also part of the program.
“There are remarkable paras across the state, who wouldn’t have access through our face-to-face program,” Romanuck Murphy said. “We focused on the program going online because it allows us to reach out to paras in those areas, and even for people who are closer to the metro area, who might have travel issues, or child care, it gives them an option. We want to be sure we are connecting with both urban and rural districts across the state and providing equity and access to those districts.”
Applicants will apply through their districts, and Romanuck Murphy said the districts have already begun the application process. The program will start this summer with those paras becoming certified teachers by 2027.
“This is the largest partnership we have ever had through the TCL program,” Romanuck Murphy said. “Our aim by 2030 is to graduate 800 paraprofessionals, which would move the needle in a meaningful way to solve the teacher shortage problem. But that won’t come easily. We will continue to seek additional funding and partnership opportunities through public and private entities to ensure the sustainability of this program and its growth.”
Districts in the “Grow Your Own” program include: Allen Consolidated Schools, Bellevue Public Schools, Bennington Public Schools, Columbus Public Schools, Fremont Public Schools, Grand Island Public Schools, Gretna Public Schools, Lincoln Public Schools, Millard Public Schools, Nelson Mandela Elementary School, North Platte Public Schools, Omaha Public Schools, Papillion-LaVista Community Schools, Ralston Public Schools, Scribner-Snyder Community Schools, South Sioux City Community Schools, Westside Community Schools, Bancroft-Rosalie Public Schools, and Winnebago Public Schools.
