The following editorial originally appeared in The Seattle Times:
Washington’s community colleges are rising to the challenge of a nationwide teacher shortage by providing a rigorous but affordable path to the classroom for aspiring educators. The Legislature and local officials should monitor the effort closely and look for opportunities to collaborate.
In the past decade, nine community colleges across the state have started offering baccalaureate degrees in K-12 education. Each student arrives with an associate degree, spends two years in the classroom, often in the evening, and in the final year, shifts to a residency with a mentor at a partner school. Successful candidates must pass a series of tests to earn certification.
The initiative is helping ease the teacher shortage in some communities, according to the state’s Professional Educator Standards Board.
And interest has been greater than expected, evidenced by Centralia Community College drawing almost seven times as many applicants as anticipated in the first year of its program. Six years later, Centralia and partner Grays Harbor Community College have graduated 175 new teachers.
As an added benefit, the programs are attracting bilingual Spanish-English speakers, helping meet a demographic need in many communities. Currently, half of the state’s K-12 students are people of color, but 87 percent of teachers are white.
The path appeals to many aspiring teachers because they can start the program while continuing their day jobs. It’s also more affordable than a university degree. A four-year university program can cost about $30,000 a year, including tuition, housing and other expenses, while the community college route can be about $7,000 a year.
Universities, where enrollment in teaching programs declined nationwide in the past decade, weren’t happy with the community college efforts at first. But more are partnering with community colleges to achieve their separate goals.
The two types of schools appeal to different types of students who wouldn’t likely cross over. By offering a rigorous, parallel and flexible path, community colleges are complementing — not competing with — four-year schools.
A recent report from the educator standard board notes that “the educator shortage is a complex issue requiring complex solutions.” There are many factors, including inadequate pay, the pandemic and increasingly hostile political fights over curriculum.
If this sort of success continues, lawmakers and educators alike should look for other innovative ways to train people at community colleges to fill high-demand jobs.
The state’s community colleges have found a way to make a direct contribution to recruiting new hires. Washingtonians, from local school boards to the statehouse, should lend their support.
