Contributors:
Stefani Blaylock, Rio Salado College
Tiffany Sandoval, Teacher Retention Project.
For the past several years, Arizona has experienced a teacher shortage. Teachers are leaving the profession because of low pay, increasing demands, and isolation. According a report compiled by REL West from state workforce data, between 2010-2014, approximately 24,422 teachers left the Arizona Education Workforce. This trend reflects the nationwide statistic that approximately half of teachers leave the profession within their first 3 to 5 years of teaching (National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, 2007). This trend, called teacher turnover or attrition, drains limited school budgets and negatively affects student achievement. To compound the issue, a large number of teachers and school employees are expected to retire in the next few years. A 2015 Arizona Department of Education study found that more than 26,000 public school employees, including teachers, are eligible to retire in 2018.
The Teacher Retention Project (TRP) offers a solution for keeping Special Education Teachers in the classroom and bringing new teachers on board. TRP provides individualized coaching and professional development for Special Education Teachers. The TRP model gives new teachers a year of time to focus completely on direct instruction while a Special Education Director with expertise in the field handles case management. Through both instructional coaching and case management, teachers are given time to learn both with strong supports in place. TRP partners with Rio Salado College in working to combat the shortage by enrolling TRP intern teachers in one of the “Grow Your Own Teacher” programs Rio Salado College offers. Rio Salado offers three different pathways to teacher certification which gives career changers and those with a day job the opportunity to earn their teaching certificate in an online format. TRP specifically partners and enrolls new teachers in the Teacher- In-Residence Program. Through this program, teachers enter the classroom and enter their teaching certification requirements at the same time. All classes are online with the exception of in-person field experience hours.
"By offering flexible and affordable programs, we can assist schools in identifying potential teachers who are already embedded within their community,” said Dr. Jennifer Gresko, Educator Preparation Program's faculty chair. “When drawing from your own community, the likelihood of the individual teaching for the school long term is greater.”
Stefani Blaylock, Rio Salado College
Tiffany Sandoval, Teacher Retention Project.
For the past several years, Arizona has experienced a teacher shortage. Teachers are leaving the profession because of low pay, increasing demands, and isolation. According a report compiled by REL West from state workforce data, between 2010-2014, approximately 24,422 teachers left the Arizona Education Workforce. This trend reflects the nationwide statistic that approximately half of teachers leave the profession within their first 3 to 5 years of teaching (National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, 2007). This trend, called teacher turnover or attrition, drains limited school budgets and negatively affects student achievement. To compound the issue, a large number of teachers and school employees are expected to retire in the next few years. A 2015 Arizona Department of Education study found that more than 26,000 public school employees, including teachers, are eligible to retire in 2018.
The Teacher Retention Project (TRP) offers a solution for keeping Special Education Teachers in the classroom and bringing new teachers on board. TRP provides individualized coaching and professional development for Special Education Teachers. The TRP model gives new teachers a year of time to focus completely on direct instruction while a Special Education Director with expertise in the field handles case management. Through both instructional coaching and case management, teachers are given time to learn both with strong supports in place. TRP partners with Rio Salado College in working to combat the shortage by enrolling TRP intern teachers in one of the “Grow Your Own Teacher” programs Rio Salado College offers. Rio Salado offers three different pathways to teacher certification which gives career changers and those with a day job the opportunity to earn their teaching certificate in an online format. TRP specifically partners and enrolls new teachers in the Teacher- In-Residence Program. Through this program, teachers enter the classroom and enter their teaching certification requirements at the same time. All classes are online with the exception of in-person field experience hours.
"By offering flexible and affordable programs, we can assist schools in identifying potential teachers who are already embedded within their community,” said Dr. Jennifer Gresko, Educator Preparation Program's faculty chair. “When drawing from your own community, the likelihood of the individual teaching for the school long term is greater.”
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