Nationwide teacher shortages leave school districts relying on alternative solutions

Districts nationwide are shortening school weeks and packing more students into classrooms because there aren’t enough teachers. Arizona is just one state where almost a quarter of their teaching jobs are consistently vacant. School districts are fighting to fill some of those jobs in Arizona and half of the time they are filled by people who aren’t properly certified.

Out of those 7,500, about 4,000 of them were filled by alternative means. Alternative means they were on an alternative pathway, a change of career. So they may be in the business setting, or they got a college degree in another field,' said Mesa Public Schools Assistant Superintendent of HR Justin Wing. Wing says this pathway removes financial and time barriers for individuals who want to become teachers.

We're in our second year of hosting our own certification program. So if you have a degree in another field, you can be a teacher tomorrow. And we're going to heavily invest in you and support you to be the best teacher possible. And after you complete our two-year program, now you have all the teacher credentials,' said Wing. 'The Arizona Department of Education will be giving them a full teacher certificate, a 12-year teacher certificate.

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