ADE aunches Teach Again campaign

ADE aunches Teach Again campaign

Program seeks to put former teachers back in the classroom

kimberly.friedman@arkansas.gov

LITTLE ROCK— Reignite your passion for teaching: Teach Again!

The Arkansas Department of Education is offering a quicker route to license renewal for those who have left the profession.

For a limited time, teachers who left the profession and no longer have a current license, those who received an initial license but did not convert to a standard license, and retired teachers who do not have a current license can jumpstart their teaching career.

Considered one of the most rewarding professions, being a teacher provides countless opportunities to inspire the next generation, build leaders and educate tomorrow’s teachers.

According to the Learning Policy Institute, Arkansas ranks in the top 20 percent of states in the nation for “teacher attractiveness.”

This statistic reflects Arkansas’ support for and emphasis on the importance of recruiting and retaining teachers.

To ensure excellence in education, Arkansas seeks teachers to fill the numerous vacancies in classrooms. The Arkansas teacher pipeline (as measured by enrollment in firsttime educator preparation licensure programs) has declined by 58 percent in the last six years.

Through its Teach Again campaign, launched today, the Arkansas Department of Education encourages licensed teachers who have left the profession to reignite their passion for teaching.

Renewal requirements include completing a licensure application, paying the $75 application fee and completing the required background checks. While the current rules require 60 hours of professional development, starting today, ADE is waiving that requirement and allowing qualified individuals to complete 36 hours if they do so by March 31, 2017.

Free online professional development is available through Arkansas IDEAS.

“I became a teacher because of a teacher,” Assistant Commissioner for Educator Effectiveness and Licensure Ivy Pfeffer said. “Because of her example, her support and her encouragement, I chose education as my profession. We don’t become educators to be popular, to be loved nor to become rich. We become educators to make a positive difference and to create opportunities for each and every student we teach. For every life we touch, we have the opportunity to make life better, not just for that individual student, but for the families and communities we serve. In small ways, individual educators not only improve lives in communities, but as part of a larger system, we also impact positive change in the world. I can think of no better choice for anyone to make than to become a teacher and to teach in Arkansas and impact the future today.”

To get started, those interested should first fill out the contact form on the Teach Again webpage: www.arkansased.gov/divisions/ human-resourceseducator- effectiveness-andlicensure/ teach-again. ADE will send the program application, background check instructions, and resources needed to complete professional development requirements.

In order to ensure that every student graduates from high school ready for college, career and community engagement, Arkansas’ students need and deserve passionate, motivated and effective teachers.

From Kimberly Friedman