Effective Educators are Foundational to Economic Growth (Ben Kutlyo Commentary)

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How can we remain competitive in today’s global economy? No matter the sector, the recurring answer is a capable workforce. In Arkansas, we’ve seen the dividends of investing in industry-specific skill-building and training programs for our residents. While critical, these initiatives alone will not result in the workforce Arkansas needs for our state’s continued economic growth and development.

One of the most crucial ingredients to setting our residents and economy up for long-term success is providing access to high-quality, career-connected PreK-12 education. But, to achieve this, we must double down on our efforts to increase the number of qualified, certified and diverse teachers in our state.

It’s no secret that Arkansas is facing a teacher shortage. It’s a pervasive issue that nearly all states are confronting, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. What is different is how Arkansas is tackling the educator recruitment and retention challenge head-on — and with multiple complementary strategies.

Arkansas is fortunate to have a wealth of educator preparation programs (EPPs), which are working to transform the teacher-candidate experience to help more graduates enter and stay in our classrooms. With the passage of LEARNS, our state has also implemented historic changes for the field, including a $50,000 starting salary and merit teacher incentive fund. The Arkansas Department of Education recently gave the profession an additional boost, designating “pre-educator” as H2 (i.e., high wage and high demand) in its success-ready pathways for high schoolers.

Still, we know not every teacher follows a traditional route to the classroom. In areas with the most acute teacher shortages, we’ve seen an urgent need for “grow your own” initiatives like registered apprenticeships, as well as increased awareness and access to the various pathways.

That’s why Forward and the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) launched an initiative to outline the different options for potential candidates, starting with high schoolers through career changers and existing school employees. Teach Arkansas then connects interested individuals with available resources, including career coaches and licensure advisors, who can help them identify the best path forward. It offers clear guidance—from a tuition calculator to comprehensive scholarship lists—for a more seamless process.

Since 2022, Teach Arkansas has become a go-to, centralized source of information for prospective educators. However, as with any online platform, Forward and the ADE understand the need for retooling and recalibration. For example, TNTP, an education nonprofit, highlighted how Teach Arkansas could make an even greater impact if it “tracked how individuals matriculate through the [teacher preparation] pipeline.” With data like this as our guide, we are continuing to determine where we can help alleviate or address roadblocks that prevent individuals from pursuing or remaining in the profession.

The U.S. Department of Education recently noted the national momentum to “elevate the teaching profession by investing in and scaling up high-quality and affordable pathways.” Our state is well ahead of the curve with initiatives like Teach Arkansas. Through a comprehensive and dynamic approach, we are encouraging more residents to enter a rewarding, fulfilling profession crucial to our economic growth.

Ben Kutylo is the executive director of Forward Arkansas, a nonprofit whose mission is to accelerate the innovative and equitable transformation of education in Arkansas. For more information about its initiatives, visit forwardarkansas.org.