Talking Points

• Iowa is facing a critical shortage of teachers, a key component for student success. We need to increase the pipeline of new students entering teacher preparation programs in addition to reducing barriers to entering the teaching profession.
  

• We must ensure that students entering teacher preparation programs become licensed teachers in Iowa. The data shows that many students fail to complete their student teaching experience because of the additional financial burden. And student loan debt can be a limiting factor for those educated to become teachers. 
  

• Quality alternative teacher licensure programs provide an avenue for those seeking a career change to enter the teaching profession. Any alternative licensure program must ensure in-classroom experiences, research-based pedagogy, and the appropriate content knowledge without sacrificing the rigor and quality of teacher preparation programs. 

Legislative Asks

• Provide funds to recruit more students into the teaching profession through grants to educator preparation students while completing their degree. 

• Increase support for the 2+2 elementary education degree program, which allows students to earn a two-year degree at a community college and then complete the required classes to earn a teaching degree online through the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). Additionally, provide more support for the accelerated, online program for paraeducators to become a licensed elementary and/or special education teacher at UNI. 

• Establish a stipend program to offset the financial cost of completing the student teaching requirement. 

• Provide more flexibility and increase the number of awards through the Teach Iowa Scholar loan repayment program. 

• Create an additional alternative pathway for teacher licensure candidates to complete coursework while also teaching under supervision of a mentor teacher. 

Talking Points

Districts need additional tools to be competitive in today’s workforce market to ensure that they can recruit, hire and retain a quality teacher workforce. 

Legislative Asks

• Allow flexibility and provide resources for districts to pay school staff market competitive wages. 

• Allow the use of the management fund for districts to offer recruitment and retention incentives.