Nothing is free, but working as an educator actually costs money. Each year, teachers pay for professional development classes and classroom supplies on top of student loan payments, all while juggling the rapidly increasing cost of living in Arizona. Local community colleges and the Arizona Teachers Academy are working to help the state's educators overcome the cost of an education in education.

Countless studies show that students have better educational outcomes when their teachers are more diverse. In a state where it's hard enough to recruit any teachers, finding a teaching force that looks like the student body can be difficult. Some school districts are partnering with educational institutions to grow their own diverse teaching staffs. 

In this episode, we profile two organizations that work to tap under-utilized reservoirs of talent and put qualified, quality teachers in Arizona classrooms.

Before Arizona can fix its teacher recruitment issues, they have to address an even bigger problem: the fact that almost half of all teachers quit within three years. Some leave to teach in states with higher salaries, while others leave the profession entirely. While community organizations can't fix the pay or funding, they can support early-career teachers and give them the resources they need in order to stay. 

Let us know what you think. Please take our survey (https://heararizona.org/survey).

Arizona's schools are in trouble. Why? They can't recruit enough teachers, and often, they can't retain the ones they do hire. Many classrooms are led by teachers with emergency certification. A large number of teachers are nearing retirement age -- and there isn't a corps of qualified replacements lined up. In a state that ranks near the bottom for per-pupil spending, nonprofits and community colleges are the only things keeping Arizona's kids from falling off the education cliff.

Let us know what you think. Please take our survey (https://heararizona.org/survey).