Educator Recruitment and Retention

Click here to learn more about substitute resources and authorizations.

Educator Recruitment and Retention

Educators play a crucial role in the life of every child. Research confirms that teachers are the single most important school-based influence on how well students learn. "Educator quality is the single most important school-level contributor to student learning and achievement" (Leithwood, Louis, Anderson, & Wahlstrom, 2004; Rivkin, Hanushek, & Kain, 2005).

Our team provides service to education candidates by providing preparation, licensing and placement assistance to current and future educators. Details regarding professional development opportunities, including Licensing 101, Educator Boot Camp and Substitute Boot Camp, can be found below.

Educator Recruitment and Retention Program

The Educator Recruitment and Retention (ERR) program was created by SB21-185 to provide support to members of the armed forces and nonmilitary-affiliated educator candidates in pursuing a career as an educator and to provide support to local education providers to recruit, select, train, and retain highly qualified educators across the state. Under this program, qualified program applicants can apply for up to $10,000 in financial assistance toward their educator preparation program costs if they commit to teaching in a rural or small rural district for three years. On September 30, the State Board of Education issued a notice of rulemaking for this program. To view the rules and provide feedback, visit the Educator Talent Rules Feedback page.

Educator Recruitment

Licensing 101

Register to attend a virtual professional development seminar to learn about the requirements to become teacher in Colorado, including various licensure pathways, the Colorado K-12 landscape and overview of high-need areas. All seminars will be held virtually, via Zoom from 6 to 7:30 pm on the following dates:

Thursday, September 23

Register for Licensing 101 today! Zoom details will be sent with registration confirmation separately.

Educator Boot Camp

The Educator Boot Camp is a free virtual and/or in-person seminar specifically designed to support, assist and encourage first year educators, first- to third-year educators desiring additional pedagogy supports, and educators in alternative licensing programs. Participants will learn about their roles and responsibilities as an educator, including:

Classroom management and identification of challenged and high-needs students
Curriculum mapping and preparation of lesson plans
Differentiation of instruction and exposure to teaching strategies
Educator evaluation process and Teacher Quality Standards
Educational values and ethical standards
Cultural diversity and school culture
Administrative expectations
Maintaining appropriate student records, including recording grades
School policy and emergency response

VIRTUAL

Watch this space for the 21-22 schedule!

IN-PERSON

Watch this space for the 21-22 schedule!

Substitute Boot Camp

The Substitute Boot Camp is a free, virtual seminar specifically designed to support, assist and encourage substitute teachers with starting their first day on the job. This seminar is an excellent resource for currently authorized substitute teachers and individuals who are in-process of obtaining their substitute authorization. Participants will learn about their roles and responsibilities as a substitute teacher, including:

Understanding and executing academic lesson plans
Preparing lesson plans when lesson plans aren't available
Classroom management and identification of challenged and high-needs students
Maintaining appropriate student records, including recording grades
School policy and emergency response

Participants will also have opportunities for networking and connecting with experienced educators. Substitute Boot Camps will be led by experienced educators and will feature guest speakers currently working in Colorado's K-12 classrooms. Visit the Be a Sub webpage or Substitute Boot Camp flyer for details.

Register for a Substitute Boot Camp today! NOTE: Boot Camps fill up quickly, so be sure to register early! Registration for each scheduled Boot Camp will close 3 days prior to the event. Substitute Boot Camps are scheduled to be held via Zoom from 4 to 6:30 pm on the following dates (Thursdays):

October 7, 2021
October 21, 2021
November 4, 2021
November 18, 2021
December 2, 2021
December 16, 2021
January 6, 2022
January 20, 2022
February 3, 2022
February 17, 2022
March 3, 2022
March 17, 2022
April 7, 2022
April 21, 2022
May 5, 2022
May 19, 2022

Learn more about becoming a substitute/guest teacher, the different authorizations available, and resources available to support you in this pathway!

Substitute Stipend

The Colorado Department of Education, in partnership with the Colorado Center for Rural Education at the University of Northern Colorado, are pleased to announce the availability of a $300 stipend for new substitutes that can be used to reimburse a variety of costs associated with obtaining a substitute authorization. Individuals obtaining their first time, valid 1-year, 3-year, 5-year or 2020-21 Substitute Authorization may qualify for the stipend upon meeting eligibility requirements detailed below.

To be eligible for the $300 funding, individuals must:

Obtain a valid Colorado substitute authorization
Register and attend a Substitute Boot Camp
Work a minimum of one day as a substitute in a Colorado school district, BOCES, charter or approved facility school.

Eligible applicants must submit a completed Substitute Certification Form and W-9. Stipends are limited and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, so be sure to submit your application early! Additional information, including application details, are available on the Substitute Stipend Details document.

For questions, visit the Colorado Substitute Stipend webpage or email the Colorado Center for Rural Education.