DENVER – Colorado is in the midst of a teacher shortage and one lawmaker says the state is short 3,000 educators.
“From the testimony we've been receiving, there are schools been advertising for math teacher for 18 months, not one person ever applied. An English teacher teaching science because she took science in high school,” Said Rep. Barbara McLachlan.
The Democrat has created a bill requiring the state to look into recruitment and retention of teachers and create a strategic plan to address the shortage.
A recent report by the Colorado Department of Education paints a bleak picture. The total number of individuals completing an educator preparation program at Colorado colleges declined by 2.2 percent from the previous year. It's the sixth consecutive year the number of completers has declined.
The bill has been approved by the House. It will be voted on in the Senate Education Committee Wednesday.
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