NC State College of Education, WCPSS Partnering to Create New Pathway for Instructional Assistants to Become Fully Licensed Teachers

June 25, 2026 - 11:48

North Carolina State University's College of Education has teamed up with the Wake County Public School System to create a new apprenticeship program for instructional assistants who want to become fully licensed teachers. The program is called Wolfpack Teacher Registered Apprenticeship Career, or WolfTRAC for short.

Through this effort, instructional assistants working across the district can earn a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from NC State along with a North Carolina teaching license. The program uses a cohort-based model and takes about 18 months to complete. The key advantage is that participants can keep working full time for Wake County schools while they earn their degree and license.

The partnership aims to address the ongoing need for highly effective teachers in the classroom. By tapping into the existing pool of instructional assistants, the program offers a direct career ladder for people who already have experience working with students. These assistants know the school environment and the daily challenges of the classroom, making them strong candidates for teaching roles.

WolfTRAC is structured as a registered apprenticeship, which means participants get on-the-job training combined with academic coursework. The cohort model also helps build a support network among the assistants as they move through the program together. For Wake County, this is a way to develop homegrown talent and fill teaching positions with people who already understand the district's culture and students.