Charting a route toward teacher success
Anew report highlights promising policy initiatives Arkansas has undertaken to strengthen its teacher pipeline and address shortages in the classroom.
Thanks to the bold leadership of Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva and lawmakers across the state, Arkansas knew there was no time to waste after a previous report identified significant teacher shortages in the state.
Now, as states struggle with educator workforce challenges, early results indicate Arkansas is positioned to show them the way.
In 2021, TNTP, a national nonprofit focused on ensuring low-income students and students of color have access to effective teachers, released a report in Arkansas that identified shortages of certified teachers in dozens of districts across the state, and found that Black students were five times more likely to attend a high-shortage district than their white peers.
The report recommended three ways to fix the challenge: Design a career pathway to standard licensure for paraprofessionals, long-term substitutes and classroom aides; raise teacher salaries and reduce salary inequities across districts; and design an easy-to-use website for teachers and would-be teachers to learn about available programs. Policymakers listened.
Just weeks after taking office last year, Governor Sanders proposed the LEARNS Act, a sweeping education package that included enhanced educator licensure pathways, competitive financial incentives, and a centralized resource for aspiring teachers.
The LEARNS Act expanded ways teachers can become certified by creating licensure pathways for those with a bachelor’s degree or higher. These allow educators to work as a teacher of record in a school district while meeting licensure requirements.
The state has launched an online dashboard where prospective teachers—whether they’re still in high school or looking to make a career change—can find all the ways to chart a path to the classroom.
Arkansas also was one of the first eight states to receive approval from the U.S. Department of Labor to operate a registered apprenticeship program for teachers.
The LEARNS Act raised the minimum salary for teachers from $36,000 to $50,000 and provided $2,000 raises to more veteran teachers. For teachers whose students achieve above expectations and for teachers willing to teach in high-demand areas, Arkansas will ensure pay raise incentives of up to $10,000. And to support full-time school employees, Arkansas offers 12 weeks of paid maternity leave.
Adjusted for cost of living, Arkansas now has the highest minimum teacher salary in the nation.
Leveraging a $3.6 million grant, the Arkansas Teacher Corps, which partners with school districts to recruit and train aspiring educators, will support more than 100 new teaching fellows through 2025—nearly twice as many as the ATC supported over the past three years.
It may be years before we fully know the effect of these policies, but in a short period, Arkansas has shifted from facing critical challenges within its educator workforce to passing and implementing legislation designed to stem the shortage of qualified teachers with career pathways, clear communication and competitive pay.
When I was governor of Florida, I worked with stakeholders and policymakers to enact an education package that moved our state from the back of the pack to the top. It was hard work, and even harder to implement the changes. But it was worth every minute knowing we were moving the needle for our students. I’m excited to see how the Arkansas story continues to unfold.
Jeb Bush was governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is the founder and chair of ExcelinEd. The report he speaks about is live at https://tntp.org/publication/moving-up/