BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - Schools around the state have been struggling to find teachers. Even when they do find them, they struggle to keep them. The Department of Public Instruction is piloting a new approach to the issue.

Classrooms in North Dakota may start to look a little different in the next few years.

The state has become the first to gain approval for a “lead teacher” apprenticeship program. This means rather than having one teacher with 25 students in one room, schools will create a team of teachers with specialized expertise and assign a roster of 100 students to them.

“In addition, you may have paraprofessionals and resident teachers and volunteers,” said Laurie Matzke, chief of Program Development & Growth. “So, there’s this whole team of adults that are in the classroom, th

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