Press Releases
10/01/2018
Gov. Malloy Announces Launch of Initiative to Attract Diverse and Talented People to Become Teachers
TEACH Connecticut Will Advance the State’s Progress on Increasing Racial, Ethnic and Linguistic Diversity of the Educator Workforce
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that the Connecticut State Department of Education (SDE) has launched TEACH Connecticut, a comprehensive approach toward attracting diverse and talented people into the teaching profession. By partnering with TEACH.org, the state will be better able to recruit and attract teachers or teacher candidates through advertising, a Connecticut dedicated website (connecticut.teach.org), and exciting in-person events.
TEACH Connecticut is the first statewide initiative of its kind in the nation and will help the state fill vacancies in certification shortage areas such as math, science, bilingual and special education.
“Our education system is stronger when our teacher workforce is as diverse as the communities they serve, and the launch of TEACH Connecticut will only strengthen our schools,” Governor Malloy said. “We should be proud that Connecticut’s education system is moving in the right direction. Graduation rates have increased for seven consecutive years, with the biggest gains coming from traditionally underserved communities, and test scores indicate improvement in reducing the achievement gap. TEACH Connecticut will be an important resource as we work to make our schools even better and ensure every kid in our state receives a quality education.”
Connecticut television and radio stations will be given public service announcements to promote the initiative and raise the image of teaching. Titled “Teachers Have Better Work Stories,” the advertising campaign highlights the creativity, leadership, and excitement that teachers encounter daily in classrooms across Connecticut. The announcements end with an invitation for interested individuals to learn more at Teach.org, which takes visitors to TEACH Connecticut’s one-stop-shop portal. Through this website, TEACH Connecticut will offer – at no cost – various tools and resources for anyone who is considering a career in teaching. Visitors can discover what a career in teaching offers; read about what they need to do to become a teacher; research school district profiles and salary information; and review content about certification and financial aid, educator preparation programs, application checklists and more. The tools, services, and resources included in the system will be expanded and updated regularly based on evolving best practices, ongoing user research, and feedback from partners and other education stakeholders.
“Effective teachers are critical to student success which is why the State Board of Education has prioritized making sure that every student is supported by high-quality teachers and leaders,” SDE Commissioner Dianna R. Wentzell said. “Yet, as the 2018-19 school year begins, some school districts are still struggling to fill vacancies. Through TEACH Connecticut, we want to not only promote and elevate the image of the teaching profession but make progress towards filling Connecticut’s persistent certification shortage areas by recruiting and retaining a diverse educator workforce that mirrors the racial, ethnic and linguistic diversity of our students. We are excited to launch TEACH Connecticut to bolster these efforts and help us fulfill our mission of ensuring the most effective educators are in every school and classroom so that students graduate prepared for college, career and life.”
SDE invited all of Connecticut’s schools and school districts, including charters, approved private special education providers, as well as educator preparation programs granting initial teaching certificates to join the TEACH Connecticut initiative. Participating schools will have their profiles featured on the TEACH Connecticut portal. Upon launching, more than 70 schools joined the initiative and more will continue to be added. TEACH Connecticut will provide tools and resources to help schools identify and cultivate the interest of their students, alumni, and community who are interested in a teaching career. Educator preparation programs can increase the size and diversity of their applicant pools through statewide exposure of their educator preparation program.
“Teachers make our future of our economy and society strong, so we are thrilled to support TEACH Connecticut in finding the next generation of great educators, who will innovate in the classroom to educate future inventors, programmers, and talent for all sectors,” Anthony Salcito, TEACH Board Member and Vice President-Education at Microsoft, said.
TEACH.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, launched by Microsoft and the U.S. Department of Education, and supported by the nation’s top teacher associations. Financial support for TEACH Connecticut is provided by the Peter & Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation (PCLB) and Microsoft. Additional supporters include Ad Council, the leading provider of public service announcements; Digitas, one of the top ten marketing agencies in the world; LinkedIn; and the College Football Playoff Foundation.
Visit TEACH Connecticut at https://connecticut.teach.org.
- Twitter: CT State Department of Education Twitter
- Facebook: CT State Department of Education Facebook
Peter Yazbak
Communications Director
860-713-6528