DENVER, Colo. — A new bipartisan state law taking effect on Wednesday could ease Colorado's teacher shortage, as school districts rush to fill open positions before a new school year begins.
Scripps News Denver examined what the new law will do to address a teacher shortage the state has been dealing with for several years.
Scott Pribble, the director of external communications at Denver Public Schools, said it's not unusual for his district to still be hiring this close to a new school year.
“This is the time of year that our hiring and acquisition team is very, very busy, but it's this way every single year,” said Pribble. “So, this is not unusual for them."
It's also not unusual for other school districts to still be hiring this time of the year and for some positions, including teachers, to remain unfilled after a new school year starts.
Colorado has been dealing with a teacher shortage for years.
Last year, about 7,700 teacher positions needed to be filled across the state, according to Colorado’s Educator Shortage Survey Results.
As in prior years, school districts had to implement shortage mechanisms, which included hiring long-term substitutes and retired teachers.
Even then, over 250 teaching positions remained unfilled according to the survey.
The Colorado Department of Education has tracked its teacher shortage in depth in recent years – by year, by subject and by hiring mechanism. Click through the dashboard below or view it in full screen here.
A new bipartisan law taking effect on Wednesday could provide some relief to school districts.
Senate Bill 25-154 will remove some of the barriers aspiring teachers face, including reducing the number of tests they have to take.
“Each Praxis test is about an average of $150 a piece, so if you are an aspiring educator with a college debt, like most of them have, it was really, really cost-prohibitive,” said Rep. Eliza Hamrick, a Democrat who represents Arapahoe and Douglas counties, and one of the main sponsors of SB25-154.
Hamrick said the new law will also make it easier for current teachers to get certified to teach in high-need areas like special education and early childhood education.
It also specifies that colleges participating in the Teacher Recruitment Education and Preparation (TREP) program cannot charge more than the community college tuition rate.
“We're really excited because we're really thinking that's going to get more and more teachers through the pipeline,” said Hamrick. “It's all about getting qualified, passionate teachers into the classroom because of our teacher shortage.”
State Sen. Cathy Kipp, D-Fort Collins, and State Rep. Matt Soper, R-Delta, also sponsored the bill.
Ultimately, Hamrick said, the state must do more to attract and retain teachers.
“We just have to figure out ways of paying our teachers better. That's the bottom line,” said Hamrick.
As for DPS, it will hold a “Just In Time Hiring Fair” on Thursday, August 7, from 5-7 p.m., at Manual High School, located at 1700 E. 28th Ave. in Denver.
The district will be looking to fill a variety of positions, including teachers, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, kitchen staff, and school nurses.
“We're just looking for people who are willing to and passionate about working with kids and providing them with the best educational experience that they can possibly have,” said Pribble.
Job seekers who are interested can register ahead of time by clicking here.
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