Rural Colorado faces a teacher shortage. University of Colorado Denver has plans to help.
By making high-quality educator preparation programs available in rural communities and recruiting candidates from those communities, administrators hope they can make a real dent in the teacher shortage. Students who come in with an associate degree can earn a University of Colorado Denver bachelor’s degree without leaving Otero County. Nearly two dozen more early elementary teachers are expected to graduate from the program in the next two years, and CU Denver plans to offer programs for those who want to teach middle school math and secondary science — areas of severe need — starting next year. The program will also expand to a second junior college in Trinidad, near the New Mexico border.