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“We are not only learning teaching skills from our mentors, but we are also learning life skills. I am sure I will be much more prepared for my own classroom after this program.”

- 2023-24 WEA Teacher Resident Meenakshi Boma

The ideal candidate:

WEA Teacher Residents model the values of the WEA Teacher Residency Program for our communities and stakeholders, and our students. Through these values, we expect you to demonstrate our core dispositions of professional practice. You are an ideal candidate for this program if you reflect the core values.

The WEA Teacher Residency's six core values are used to assess applicants' readiness for the program throughout the selection process. Review the core values to get an understanding of the program’s focus and to determine if the program is the right fit for you.

WEA’s program will be available in 2025-26 subject to continuing program approval through PESB and appropriate funding. 

Applicant eligibility: 

Interested in applying? Check to make sure you meet these eligibility requirements. 

  • Degree. You must have obtained a bachelor's degree or higher prior to the program start date. The degree may be in any subject and may have been issued in another country. Find out more on our FAQ page.

  • District placement. You must be available for residency (student teaching) in one of our partner districts: Auburn, Federal Way, Issaquah, Mukilteo, Pasco, Peninsula, Sedro Woolley, Sumner - Bonney Lake, and Walla Walla. Some districts have specific requirements regarding prior employment or other relationships with the district. See our FAQs for additional information. 

  • Certificate status. If you hold a teaching certificate or have completed a teacher preparation program in Washington state, another state, or another country, you may already be eligible for a Washington state teaching certificate. If this is the case, you would NOT be eligible for WEA's program. Please contact the OSPI Certification Office at cert@k12.wa.usor (360) 725-6400 to determine your certificate status. 

    • If you already hold a teacher certificate and are interested in adding a special education endorsement, complete our interest survey to be notified if and when WEA offers an endorsement-only program. 

How to apply:

Complete our interest survey to be notified when applications open for the next cohort.. Find an application checklist to help you plan your process. There are two main steps to this application. All steps must be completed and documents uploaded prior to the application deadline. 

  • Step 1: Complete our interest survey to be notified when applications open for the next cohort. In Step 1 of the application, you will share contact information and district preferences, and respond to short questions about your experience and assessments. This should take about 15-30 minutes and must be completed in one sitting. View the entire application here so you will know what will be asked. 

  • Step 2: Document portal. After you complete Step 1, you will receive a link via email to Step 2, the document portal. In this step, you will upload documents including an unofficial transcript, resume, personal narrative, and two letters of recommendation, at least one from a supervisor. Find details of documentation required

Reach out with your questions to admissions@washingtonea.org

Important links: 

  • Complete our interest survey to be informed when applications for future cohorts open, or to be informed if and when WEA offers a special education endorsement program to individuals who already hold a teacher certificate. 

WEA Teacher Residency Application, Admissions and Residency Timeline: 

Date

Step

Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Applications are now CLOSED for the 2025-26 WEA Teacher Residency program. 

Wednesday, October 9, 2024, at 5 p.m.

Application submission deadline.

October 17-21, 2024

Application screening. Applicants selected for an interview will be notified after the screening process.

October 23-29, 2024

Zoom interviews. Applicants may be selected for a one hour Zoom interview schedule Oct. 23-29, with options provided for day or evening times

November 5 - 8, 2024 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) 

In-person candidate interviews. Candidates selected for an in-person interview will need to be available for that interview in the general region of the partner school district. Interviews may be during the day or in the evening.

By the end of November 2024 

Candidates notified of admission decisions. 

Tuesday, December 10, 2024 

Last day for candidates to accept admission.

December 2, 4, 9, 11, 2024 (Tuesdays and Thursdays); December 14, 2024 (Saturday)

Orientation for newly admitted residents.

January 2025 through June 2026 

Review calendar for the 2025-26 WEA Apprenticeship Residency for Teachers 

 January 2, 2025 ($500) 

October 15, 2025 ($500) 

January 30, 2026 ($2,000) 

May 30, 2026 ($2,000) 

Deadlines for tuition payments 

January 2025 – June 2025 

Exact dates depend on the local district calendar.

Residents serve as mentored paraeducators in their partner school districts and complete WEA coursework.

Feb. 23, 2025 

Attempting the content knowledge assessment, Special Education WEST-E 070, is required prior to Feb. 23, 2024. Residents may not begin student teaching without attempting this test. Passing the content knowledge assessment, or receiving a case-by-case exception, is required for program completion. 

July 9 - Aug. 8, 2025 

Summer Institute. Review calendar

  • July 9-Aug. 8, 2025 (synchronous and asynchronous online coursework) 

  • July 12, 2025 (in-person) 

  • July 26, 2025 (in-person) 

Aug. 2025 - June 2026 

Exact dates depend on the local district calendar. 

Year-long mentored teaching residency in partner school district. Completion of WEA coursework. 

June 18, 2026 

Residency program completion. 

Return to Teacher Residency Homepage.