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Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program recognizes first special education completer
Aug 6, 2026
by Angela Deines
MaryDawn Hawkinson, right, the first special education completer of the Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program (RTAP), is pictured with Susan Harris whose classroom Hawinkson was a paraeducator in for five years at Iola High School, Iola USD 257.
Calm, comforting, with a “big heart” are just some of the words used to describe MaryDawn Hawkinson, the first special education completer of the Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program (RTAP) honored this week during ANW Special Education Interlocal #603’s professional development event in Iola.
Hawkinson was a paraeducator in Susan Harris’s special education classroom at Iola High School, Iola USD 257, for five years. During that time, Harris, who now teaches math in Uniontown USD 235, said she saw all of Hawkinson’s skills, mainly her ability to anticipate and solve issues. Harris said those skills, paired with Hawkinson’s determination, made her more than ready to be part of the RTAP cohort and complete the requirements to become a fully licensed special education teacher in the same high school classroom they once shared.
“I just saw an opportunity for her,” Harris said. “I knew she was brilliant, and she needed that challenge, so I just told her, ‘let's get this ball rolling.’ She’s overcome a lot of obstacles to get to this point. She’s strong and she’s courageous.”
“I don’t think I would have ever pushed myself to do this,” Hawkinson said about the encouragement Harris and other educators gave her to apply for the RTAP. “I came in one day, Susan was in a meeting, and on the board there was this plan. It was ‘this is what you're going to do,’ and I was, like, ‘okay, I'm game, let's do this.’ That's just how it started.”
Hawkinson completed her bachelor's degree online through Western Governors University where programs are competency-based which gives students the opportunity to finish their degrees faster than traditional higher education courses.
“I pushed myself as fast as I could because my goal was to be a teacher,” she said. “I love my students, my kids. They’re just part of me. I love being around them and watching them learn.”
Hawkinson said the accelerated rate that she was able to earn her license as part of the RTAP was a major selling point for her and why she would recommend the program to a paraprofessional who wants to becoming a teacher.
“it's going to help you throughout your schooling and set you up better,” she said, “especially when you do your student teaching, you can get paid for it instead of having to take 60 days off (to student teach). That’s what saved me.”
Korenne Wolken, director of ANW Special Education Interlocal #603, helped pave the way for Hawkinson to be the first SPED professional to receive her full teaching license. She said Dr. Joel Gillaspie, RTAP coordinator at the Kansas State Department of Education, facilitated the process by helping to clear hurdles and resolve issues. She added there are currently six additional apprentices from ANW Special Education Interlocal #603 who are in the RTAP.
“Special education is hard and we want our teachers to be prepared for the classroom,” Wolken said. “We have used the scope and sequence that KSDE provided, and we get very specific about what activities meet each of the competencies so we can make sure that they have the experiences that they need to be successful.”
Shane Carter, director of teacher licensure for the Kansas State Department of Education, said Hawkinson’s completion of the RTAP is significant given she is the first RTAP completer certified in special education.
“This is great news for the state of Kansas,” he said. “We've got a teacher that's in one of our hardest to fill vacancy types, special education, and then the co-op was able to invest in someone in their community and not have to try to find someone to move into the area.”
Carter said because the RTAP cohort includes paraeducators already in the classroom, they can continue to earn wages in their district while finishing their degree requirements to become fully licensed. He said there are about 90 new members of the fall 2026 RTAP cohort with a total of more than 400 participants since the program began in 2023.
