“Overall, we see that people think it is a long process to become a teacher,” stated Stan Goligoski, executive director for the Yavapai County Superintendent of Schools Office.

“They don’t realize that it is possible to be in the classroom if you already have enough of an education background. Schools will work with you to ensure you receive the proper credentials toward certification.”

This fact may be uncommon knowledge now, but, as a result of Yavapai County’s lack of teachers in elementary and high schools, Golisnski is working to change perceptions and attract would-be teachers. Recently, the county partnered with Northern Arizona University to streamline the process of obtaining a teaching degree.

“NAU is committed to tackling this teacher shortage and will provide anyone interested with information and the tools to succeed” through its satellite campus in Prescott Valley, Goligoski added.

The need for teachers is not insubstantial, according to Yavapai County Schools Superintendent Tim Carter: “Yavapai County schools …. have not been able to fill 38 teaching positions that have been posted since the summer of 2014. The need for highly qualified and effective teachers in rural Arizona is immediate and real …. and becoming more problematic all the time.”

The reasons for these shortfalls are many, with low pay leading the list, as Goligoski explained. The situation, however, is more complicated than teachers leaving for better paying jobs outside of schools.

“There has been an ongoing effort to recruit recent graduates from other states such as Michigan, Iowa and Minnesota,” Goligoski stated. “These states have an abundance of teachers coming out of colleges and universities, but not enough positions available for them within their local schools. We have found the average stay of a person teaching away from their home state is one to two years.

“This is due to several factors, but the main factor is the new teacher isn’t as deeply rooted as they are back home. Since the pay for teachers isn’t enough to keep them here, their time here allows them to build a resume and enough experience to apply for teaching positions outside of Arizona. Ultimately, this gets them closer to home.”

To read the full story, see the Wednesday, June 10, edition of the Sedona Red Rock News.