Colorado is seeking new applicants for a program that aims to addressColorado’s teacher shortageby providing stipends of up to $10,000 to educators teaching under alternative licenses while earning degrees.
Called theEducator Recruitment and Retention Financial Assistance Program, the program began in the 2021-22 school year with 80 educators, who agreed to work in rural school districts for three years as a condition of receiving the stipend.
In 2022, state lawmakers expanded the program to include educators all over Colorado, not just in rural districts. Participation exploded to 749 educators in 2022-23 and held fairly steady this past school year with an unofficial count of about 700 educators, according to a Colorado Department of Education spokesperson.
Nearly a quarter of the 749 educators who got the stipend in 2022-23 were educators of color,according to a state report. Just 16% of Colorado’s educators are people of color, according to state data.
Chalkbeat Colorado is a nonprofit news organization covering education issues. For more, visit chalkbeat.org/co.
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Originally Published: July 22, 2024 at 1:49 p.m.
