COLORADO SPRINGS — Students pursuing a teaching degree or credential across the state could get up to 10,000 dollars toward their education.
The goal is to help fill staffing shortages and get more teachers into classrooms.
It's through the state's Educator Recruitment and Retention Program, which started in 2021. 749 teachers were awarded stipends last year, according to the Colorado Department of Education (CDE)
The deadline to apply online is September 30th.
The CDE states:
Recipients must commit to teaching in a shortage area for three years in a Colorado public school. Applicants can meet eligibility criteria for the program by first being enrolled in a Colorado-approved traditional or alternative educator preparation program (EPP) (or institute of higher education for applicants pursuing a CTE credential) and meeting one of the criteria below:
- Has an earned bachelor’s or higher degree from a regionally accredited college or university and has secured employment as an alternative teacher or temporary educator eligibility (TEE) educator in a shortage area; or
- Is currently employed as a paraprofessional in a school district, charter school or BOCES
- Has secured a position as a CTE instructor in a rural or small rural district and meets state CTE requirements
News5's Lindsey Jensen spoke with Isabella Hageman, who is getting that stipend for pursuing her master's in elementary education at Colorado College (CC).
"It's going to be a huge difference," said Hageman.
She said without this stipend, she would have to work several jobs outside of school and student teaching.
"[doesn't really allow for like a work-life balance or to really reflect on what we're learning and I think that's what I'm happiest about with receiving this stipend is to be able to focus on teaching," said Hageman.
Enrollment has slightly gone up because of these stipends, said CC's education associate professor and chair, Tina Valtierra.
She is hopeful the stipends can help alleviate the ongoing teacher shortage.
"It has been a systemic problem forever and then since Covid, it has really aspirated, it takes longer than a few years to fix that," said Valtierra.
For Hageman, going into this field means she can make a difference, "to not only be a teacher in a teacher shortage but also being a woman of color for students who might not have a teacher who looks like them is super important."
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