To educate children

According to the National Education Association (2018), more than 40% of teachers leave the profession within five years. It is not a secret that Arkansas, along with the rest of the country, continues to face a large teacher shortage. “According to a report by The New Teacher Project (TNTP), approximately 4% of Arkansas teachers are uncertified, more than double the national average of 1.7%. The severity of the problem varies widely from district to district. Statewide, 30 districts have a workforce that includes at least 10% uncertified teachers.” (teacharkansas.org)

Districts may use Act 1240 waivers or emergency teaching permits to bring in professionals with subjectarea expertise into classrooms without a teaching degree or assign teachers to an additional licensure plan so that teachers can teach content outside their licensure area. In 2021, 3% of Arkansas teachers were teaching outside their content area. As a parent and a teacher, this is doubly concerning because I want my child and my students to receive an education of value from qualified educators.

According to John Hattie, an education researcher well-known for his books “Visible Learning” and “Visible Learning for Teachers,” “the quality of teaching is the most important controllable factor that impacts student learning,” meaning that we can send our kids to school, but if they are not receiving quality instruction from a skilled certified teacher, then they are not being given an opportunity to excel in learning. “Every student deserves a great teacher, not by chance but by design” (Fisher, Frey, & Hattie, 2016).

Arkansas is beginning this fall to try and do just that by implementing the “Teach Arkansas” initiative. This initiative explains and provides additional routes to teacher licensure in our state. Whether you are looking for a career change, are a currently classified school employee, or even a prospective college student, there is an opportunity for anyone and everyone interested in entering the teaching field. I encourage you to visit teacharkansas.org.

ELIZABETH-ANN “LIZ” LEE

Rogers