In an effort to address a statewide trend on a local level, Academy District 20 and the state nonprofit organization TEACH Colorado will host a public information session on how aspiring teachers can earn their license.

The session will take place at the D-20 Administration Center and feature representatives from TEACH Colorado, the Colorado Department of Education, UCCS, CU Denver, Western Colorado University and Pikes Peak BOCES to present attendees the different options and pathways currently available.

D-20 assistant superintendent for human resources Cameron Smart said the district helped plan the session both to help address its own teaching shortages and educate those who may be interested in changing careers and entering the profession.

“We recognize that there are a lot of individuals that would maybe like to teach but might not know where to begin or who to ask,” he said. “So, that’s one of the things we want to do is answer those questions for them.”

Alternative licensure, in particular, will be highlighted to teach community members from different career fields how they can transfer over to teaching.

Currently, all licensed teachers in Colorado must have a bachelor’s degree. Teachers with traditional licensure also complete a state-approved preparation program upon receiving their degree. Where alternative licenses differ is that those with a degree outside of education can begin working full time as a teacher while they complete their program.

Because they are working full time, this option also allows them to earn a salary as they work towards earning their license through additional coursework and training.

UCCS alternative licensure program coordinator Curtis Turner said this on-the-job approach into the field has consistently worked for people coming from years in the workforce who are looking to change their careers.

“I think this is a really good way to try and fill that [workforce] need with people who may already have a family or aren’t able to go back to school or aren’t able to pay tuition,” he said.

Alternative licensure programs can go for either one or two years. In two-year programs, the candidate spends the first year working with a mentor and the second year as the teacher of record, while one-year programs have them immediately working as the teacher of record.

According to a survey conducted by the Colorado Department of Education, the number of alternative educators has steadily increased over the past five years , growing by nearly 500 , but has yet to keep pace with overall workforce vacancies. As the COVID-19 pandemic compounded problems in the state already struggling with teacher shortages, gaps for subjects typically seen in public education, such as math and science, expanded to include additional areas like counseling and special education.

Along with D-20, representatives from Fountain-Fort Carson D-8, Harrison D-2, Colorado Springs School District 11, D-49 and Pueblo D-70 will also attend the session to help address their respective needs for educators.

“Everybody is in the same position as we are, as far as needing to fill staffing shortages,” Smart said.

Although the state has offered alternative licensure for over 20 years, new initiatives to fill worker shortages have been approved in recent years. These include the Educator Recruitment and Retention Program, which provides applicants up to $10,000 in one-time financial assistance toward their educator preparation program costs if they commit to teaching at a public school.

CDE recruitment and retention specialist Heather Grantham said that new financial aid options like this could point to the increase in alternative licenses and teacher hires in recent years.

“There are options available now that can cover the entire cost,” Grantham said. “So, I think that could be a part of the reason for the increase we’ve been seeing.”

Turner said he’s noticed the program’s popularity increase in recent years, with the most candidates signing up at 24 in the Fall of 2023.

He added that most of these candidates signed up after recently learning about alternative licensures.

“I’m really surprised by how many people say they didn’t know about this when they first signed up,” he said.

The session will take place at the D-20 Administration Center starting at 5:30 p.m. at 1110 Chapel Hills Drive. Those interested in attending can sign up for free on TEACH Colorado’s website.

Those who want to learn more about earning a teaching license but  are unable to attend the session can also access previous webinars online, sign up for one-on-one coaching and email representatives directly at no charge.

TEACH Colorado senior program manager Kate Hudnut said that their goal is to remain available to anyone who wants to enter the education profession.

“We’re here to answer their questions,” she said. “It’s not intentionally confusing, but it can be confusing, so we mostly just want people to know that we are here for anyone who is interested.”

As for alternative licensures, Turner said he sees this option for future educators to continue to grow going forward, as both the need by employers and the interest by candidates persist.

“I think the more we get the word out, the more people we’ll see sign up,” he said.