DENVER The Colorado Association of Latino Administrators and Supervisors (CO-ALAS) has partnered with Teachers of Tomorrow to offer an alternative path to teacher certification for people who already hold a bachelor's degree. T he program launched Monday, Aug. 3, and is already receiving applications from prospective educators across the state.Diana Roybal, CO-ALAS's director of programs, said the partnership is personal. She began her career as a teacher in Colorado and credits CO-ALAS with motivating her to advance through the ranks from teacher, to principal, and to superintendent. New teacher certification program to address Colorado teacher shortage New teacher certification program to address Colorado teacher shortage"It's an organization that saw me and provided a space for me to see others that look like me that represent my cultural heritage, and really got me motivated to pursue my career in higher positions of influence in the state," Roybal said.Now leading programs for the organization, Roybal said the partnership is rooted in a belief that local representation matters in education."We do believe that there's strength when teachers come from the local community to teach the children from the local community," Roybal said.According to Roybal, in 2026, Hispanic students made up 35.7% of Colorado's student population, while Hispanic-identifying teachers represented only 9.1% of the state's educators. Roybal said research shows students are more likely to demonstrate academic achievement, strong attendance, and positive behavior when they see themselves reflected in their educators.Roybal said Colorado had more than 271 unfilled teaching positions last year, and the shortage is part of a national crisis. According to Alex Elson, chief growth officer for Teachers of Tomorrow, recently released data projects 425,000 teacher vacancies at the start of the academic year."Colorado, like every state across the country, is facing a pronounced teacher shortage crisis," Elson said.Teachers of Tomorrow is designed for people who already hold a bachelor's degree and want to enter the teaching profession without completing a traditional four-year education program. Candidates take online, asynchronous coursework in the evenings while teaching in a classroom during the day and earning a full teacher's salary."This doesn't necessarily need to be a four-year traditional school of education program, but we do need to equip them with the necessary skills and tools to be successful when they step into the teaching profession," Elson said.The program takes between 12 and 18 months to complete and costs less than $5,000, depending on whether a candidate pays upfront or in installments. A Colorado educator recruitment and retention grant offers $7,500, which would more than cover the program's cost.Candidates are paired with field supervisors including former administrators, principals, and superintendents many of whom come from CO-ALAS's existing network.Elson said outcomes for Teachers of Tomorrow graduates are comparable to those from traditional four-year programs. Graduates stay in the teaching profession at a slightly higher rate than those from four-year colleges, and student impact on reading and math reaches 99.7% of the impact measured from traditional programs.The program also connects candidates directly with hiring districts. Through a matching system, districts can search for teacher candidates within a specific geographic radius and filter by certification area."A district will be able to say, 'Show me every teacher candidate within a 25-mile radius. Particularly, show me every teacher candidate who is pursuing a certificate in special education or math or literacy,'" Elson said.The program is open to all prospective educators with a bachelors degree in Colorado. Membership in CO-ALAS is not required to apply."This is a statewide effort, and you do not need to be a member. We really want to just bring in strong people. Want to basically make a difference for the next generation," Roybal said.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. ...read more read less