Black History Month: Celebrating NJ Leaders Paving the Way

Black History Month: Celebrating NJ Leaders Paving the Way

Heather Ngoma, Founder & Director

Alternate Route Teacher Training Program, Rutgers University

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As we celebrate Black History Month, we have an opportunity to honor the many who have
shaped our lives, our history, and our world.

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This is also a perfect time to shine a spotlight on those working in the field of education to better
the lives of our children and teacher workforce. Teacher Apprenticeship Network (TAN) is
pleased to recognize one of New Jersey’s movers and shakers: Heather Ngoma.

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Heather is the Founding Director of Rutgers University’s Alternate Route Teacher Training
Program in the Graduate School of Education. She has more than 25 years of experience
collaborating with educators to make New Jersey a better place.

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Her commitment, vast experience and determination to tackle New Jersey’s dire teacher
shortage mirrors TAN’s mission to create a practical and supportive pathway into the teacher
profession and knock down barriers. The result from their collective experience is an exciting
partnership that makes sense.

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In November 2024, the New Jersey Department of Education awarded $400,000 to Rutgers to
support their teacher apprenticeship work. The partners agree that they have shared values, as
well as challenges that they can overcome together.

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This initiative called ParaPreppED, a collaborative effort between TAN and the Alternative Route
Program founded by Heather, helps paraprofessionals and substitute teachers earn their
certification while working in the classrooms. Heather says school districts may already have a
“budding apprenticeship program in the works” through offerings like a professional
development program or a robust mentoring program where they can identify aspiring teachers
eager to fulfill their dreams to become certified teachers.

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Heather says her goal is to keep the initiative as accessible as possible and to make sure that
participants know they are not on their own. Her advice to those thinking about getting a teacher
certification is to figure out why they want to do it because the journey is not easy. When the
going gets a bit tough, she says they will need to lean back on their original reasons for taking
those first steps.

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The Rutgers Alternate Route Teacher Training Program founded by Heather has helped more
than 2,000 diverse career changers, recent college graduates and other aspiring education
professionals become licensed teachers in New Jersey.

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Teacher Apprenticeship Network was founded in 2023 to offer a practical and supportive
pathway into the teacher profession and remove barriers. TAN’s approach provides mentorship
and rigorous academic preparation along with hands-on classroom experience. The goal is to
build a teacher pipeline that meets the needs of children in today’s classrooms and future
generations.

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