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Promising Practice - Educators Matter - Teacher Cadet Program

Colorado's stories of promising practices

Educators matter

Educators Matter

Littleton Public Schools Teacher Cadet Program

Littleton Public Schools has a Career Technical Education program that is designed to attract young people to the teaching profession through a challenging introduction to teaching. The Teacher Cadet Program is operated in 38 high schools in 22 districts, giving students a behind-the-desk look at the teaching profession.  


Storyline

Colorado, like the rest of the country, is experiencing a teacher shortage, particularly in rural areas and in hard-to-teach subject areas like math, science and special education. Every year, between 3,000 and 5,000 educator openings pop up throughout Colorado.  Most of those positions are filled with long-term subs or by moving folks around. But many positions go unfilled.

Supply of teacher candidates simply isn’t keeping up with the demand. Fewer college students are becoming teachers, more teachers are nearing retirement and many new teachers are exiting the profession within their first five years.

The Teacher Cadet Program is a Promising Practice that is highlighted in the Teacher Shortage Strategic Plan created by the Colorado Department of Higher Education and the Colorado Department of Education designed to increase Colorado's teaching corps. 

 

Read the full story

Themes

  • Grow Your Own Teachers
  • One solution to the state's teacher shortage
  • Career and Technical Education
  • Postsecondary Options

Uncut

Laura Alsdorf teaches the Teacher Cadet Program in Littleton Public Schools. The program provides students with a behind-the-desk view of the teaching profession. The program was a promising practice highlighted in the state's teacher shortage strategic plan as a way for districts to grow their own educators.


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