Teacher FastTrack Program to address CCSD teacher shortage

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — As students across Clark County returned to school for the fall semester earlier this week, the Clark County School District continues to grapple with filling classrooms with teachers.

CCSD is experiencing a decades-long teacher shortage and has not been fully staffed since the early 1990s. The Public Education Foundation is trying to fill the gap. In response to this shortage, PEF is partnering with UNLV to offer Teacher FastTrack, an accelerated, no-cost program to recruit and retain teachers.

“All of the research shows us that quality teaching is the number one indicator of student academic success,” Kirsten Searer, president of the Public Education Foundation said.

The Teacher FastTrack program is specifically for those already working in schools such as teachers’ aids, office staff, librarians, and bus drivers.

“We are taking folks who do not yet have their bachelor’s degree, we are paying for them to obtain their prerequisite courses, mentoring them throughout the process, [and] helping them with financial aid,” Searer said.

She then explained that after obtaining their associate degree, individuals can enter an accelerated program that allows them to earn both their bachelor’s degree and complete their student teaching in approximately one year.

The Teacher FastTrack program has two main components. First, FastTrack Recruit offers educational and financial assistance to current school employees in Nevada who are pursuing their teaching certification. Second, FastTrack Retain focuses on retaining newly certified teachers by providing professional coaching and mentorship during their initial years in the classroom.

“Nationally, more than 40% of teachers quit in their first five years,” Searer said. “We know there’s a lot of challenges to teaching right now, but we also know if we provide them with mentorship for their first three years in the classroom, that they’re more likely to feel supported, to build community, and to stick through it with us.”

This fall, 45 teachers are stepping into classrooms after earning their bachelor’s degrees and teaching licenses through the Teacher Fast Track program.

Searer said while the program isn’t a solution to the teacher shortage, it’s a new pipeline that will help decrease the number of teacher shortages in the coming years.

To learn more about the program or to start the process, visit this PEF link .

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