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Educator Workforce GIS Maps Can Help With ESSER Funds Decisions

Are you considering how to use ESSER funds to support educator workforce and staffing decisions to address students’ academic and social-emotional wellbeing? Are you interested in contextual factors that may be affecting your local educator shortage challenges? If so, a new customized geographic information system (GIS) map that links together district educator shortages, educator preparation program enrollment and completion, district retention and attrition, and other contextual economic data can help. School district, BOCES, or educator preparation programs (EPPs) seeking to improve approaches for attracting, preparing, and retaining educators are encouraged to access a customized and interactive geographic information system (GIS) map designed to explore challenges, successes and opportunities to mitigate educator shortages. Visit the Research and Impact webpage for more information.

Required COOL Access for Districts and BOCES

School districts and BOCES are required by state statute to check with CDE on criminal background and licensure information before any educator is hired.  To do this, districts must use the secure CDE eLicensing Verification Access, a database-driven educator look-up that provides real time information on educator licenses, applications, criminal background, and exam information.  Visit the eLicensing Verification Access webpage for details, including how to apply for or renew a district/BOCES eLicensing Verification Access account.

*Also provides access to READ Act and ELL PD reports!

Mandatory Enforcement Reporting Requirements

Colorado school districts and BOCES are required to report to CDE if an employee is dismissed or has resigned as a result of an allegation of unlawful behavior involving a child. Immediate notification to CDE is required if a district/BOCES learns that a current employee has been convicted of, pled nolo contendere to, or received a deferred sentence or deferred prosecution of any felony or misdemeanor crime involving unlawful sexual behavior or unlawful behavior involving children.  Visit the Mandatory CDE Enforcement Reporting webpage for additional information, including how to access the CDE Notification Form.

Principal Resources Website Available for School Leaders

The Principal Resources webpage brings together internal and external resources to support principals and school leaders. Resources around planning for the 2020-21 school year are also available on the COVID-19 Resources for Principals webpage. Principals and school leaders are encouraged to visit these newly developed webpages and/or connect with CDE Principal Leadership Cross-Unit Work Group team members with any questions or ideas.

CDE Teacher Loan Forgiveness Webpage Updated to Include Information on COVID-19 Relief for Federal Student Loan Borrowers

Visit the CDE Teacher Loan Forgiveness webpage to access updated information from the U.S. Department of Education office of Federal Student Aid regarding relief for federal student loan borrowers.

TEACH Colorado Tackles Teacher Shortages

TEACH Colorado officially launched on Feb. 3, 2021, with a mission to increase the quality, quantity and diversity of the state’s teacher pipeline. TEACH Colorado is a partnership among Colorado’s school districts, educator preparation programs, state agencies, and business and nonprofit groups to launch a comprehensive digital platform that recruits talented Coloradans into the teaching profession and provides the support they need to enroll in an educator preparation program.

TEACH Colorado combines a media and outreach campaign with a robust digital platform to support future teachers, including: 

• A one-stop-shop web portal (TeachColorado.org) with free tools that help prospective teachers understand the profession, find an educator preparation program that fits their needs, and navigate through the process of applying
• A statewide PSA ad campaign, including TV, radio, and digital advertising that point prospects to TeachColorado.org. Titled “Teachers Have Better Work Stories,” the advertising campaign highlights the creativity, leadership, and excitement that teachers experience daily in classrooms across Colorado.  The ads can be viewed on the Press webpage here.
• A “Talk-to-a-Teacher” program and on-call advising at no cost to participants
• Scholarship opportunities and reimbursement for application fees to educator preparation programs

All educator preparation programs in Colorado and 178 school districts are invited to participate and benefit from the shared resources and communications of the TEACH.org initiative. School districts, BOCES, educator preparation programs and future educators are encouraged to contact TEACH Colorado Senior Program Manager,Kate Hudnut, khudnut@teachcolorado.org.

Understanding the English Learner Professional Learning requirements for teachers with a professional license

In July 2018, the State Board of Education approved new rules to ensure educators in Colorado are prepared to meet the needs of English learners in our schools. The new English Learner Professional Learning requirements must be met only by teachers with professional licenses with an elementary, English language arts, math, science or social studies endorsement. In addition, teachers with licenses in all other endorsement areas may elect to also meet the requirements. The same holds true for special service providers, principals and administrators. Individuals with a culturally and linguistically diverse endorsement, or its linguistically diverse predecessor, automatically meet this requirement.

Detailed information about the English Learner PD requirement, the timeline for meeting it and how educators may document and demonstrate that they have done so can be found on at the English Learner PD Requirements - Information for Educators webpage.

Educator Preparation Program Effectiveness

The Educator Preparation Programs Report, released in collaboration with the Colorado Department of Education and the Colorado Department of Higher Education, features demographic information on candidates enrolled in Educator Preparation Programs, candidates who have completed preparation and passed licensure exams, and those who have obtained teaching jobs in Colorado public schools. Information about new teachers includes employment data, on-the-job performance metrics and data about teacher retention and teacher mobility.

Model Code of Ethics (MCEE)

The National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) presents the Model Code of Ethics (MCEE), a common language of ethics developed by educators for educators.  The MCEE is the first common language of ethics that can support and guide decisions regarding professional practice.  Educators and administrators are encouraged to include the following listed resources in a future training or Professional Learning Community (PLC).  For questions or comments contact NASDTEC at support@nasdtec.org.

• MCEE video featuring the educators who helped develop the MCEE, speaking to the importance of the code and its application in the classroom
• DistruptEd two-part video conversation with Troy Hutchings and Phil Rogers about the Code of Ethics (Part 1 and Part 2)

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