Concerning teacher residency and apprenticeship programs.

SB 5693 establishes new standards for teacher residency and apprenticeship programs in Washington. It defines teacher residencies as year-long programs pairing new educators with mentor teachers for 900 hours of supervised classroom practice (450 hours for graduate students), requiring school district and teacher prep program partnerships, cohort structures, and mentor stipends. The bill also creates teacher apprenticeship programs for bachelor's degree holders needing no graduate degree, mandating 2,000 hours of mentored teaching. Additionally, it adds a scholarship program for educators entering these pathways who commit to teaching in shortage areas, and plans to rename "residency certificates" to "initial certificates" by 2026.