BILL AIMS TO ADDRESS LACK OF TEACHERS

A bipartisan bill aimed at studying and fixing the causes of Colorado’s growing teacher shortage passed the state House on Monday and now heads to the Senate for approval.

House Bill 1003 requires the Department of Higher Education to work with the Department of Education, school districts and other education associations to identify root causes of the teacher shortage and recommend strategies to recruit and retain more teachers.

Because each area of the state has different needs, the plan will generate unique solutions for rural, urban and suburban school districts, said the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Barbara McLachlan.

“We know the teacher shortage in Colorado has reached crisis mode, so this bill creates the framework to do something about it and bring more teachers to our classroom,” McLachlan said.