Innovative pathways critical for attracting teachers

For many of us, the path to a satisfying and life-sustaining career is seldom a direct one. Changing gears mid-career is not for the faint of heart. Individuals bravely shifting to job opportunities in education combine unique skill sets gained from past positions with their commitment to fostering children’s individual academic potential, mental health and career goals.

There are countless stories locally and nationally about a pervasive teacher shortage, purporting a lack of interest being a significant factor. While teaching undoubtedly comes with its challenges and frustrations, the significant response to alternative route to licensure (ARL) programs at UNLV has shown that while their paths may look different, many Nevadans are interested in becoming educators.

In addition to traditional educator preparation programs, UNLV offers multiple ARL options for individuals with bachelor’s degrees to transition into teaching careers. Each year, about 400 new educators complete their degrees at UNLV, with about 12% of those graduates coming through one of our ARL programs. The momentum behind ARL programs continues to build.

Our college supports three different ARL programs, all of which have seen significant growth in the past year. In addition to the traditional ARL program, which takes most candidates about two years to complete, we offer a one-year accelerated program through NV-EPIC. This responsive model supports working professionals and prepares them to be quality classroom educators. In addition, we have a partnership with Teach For America that has served ARL students for about a decade. Although ARL programs take unique approaches to educator preparation, the standards and requirements for licensure remain in place and we work to ensure quality while we build the quantity of dedicated teachers in Southern Nevada.

Interest in our accelerated programs is particularly strong. We had close to 200 applicants for our second group of these students, 80 of whom began courses in June and will finish in summer 2023. We have also received requests from 150 individuals for information about joining the next wave of accelerated ARL students.

Offering flexible paths with multiple entry points into a career in teaching is only part of the solution for addressing the need for diverse and high-quality educators. Financial support during and after their training experience is also a critical piece of teacher recruitment and retention. While starting salaries have recently increased, the financial ramifications of entering the field is still daunting, especially if a new teacher is facing significant student loan debt. Thanks to our community partners and donors, many of our qualifying ARL students receive significant financial assistance — in some cases about 75% of program costs are covered. Our donors also support scholarships and financial assistance to help eligible students cover their living expenses while they complete their student teaching requirements.

While there is no single solution to the challenges facing Southern Nevada’s education community, we are proud to offer our dedicated students multiple paths to fulfill their aspirations to classrooms of their own.