Tom Greene is the National Legislative Director for ExcelinEd in Action. In this role, he manages the organization’s advocacy team and works with leaders and lawmakers from across the states to promote student-centered solutions.
A newly released report from nonprofit group TNTP highlights Arkansas’s remarkable progress in addressing teacher shortages, providing a potential roadmap for other states struggling with similar challenges. The state’s rapidly transforming education system, spurred by bold policy initiatives, underscores the importance of targeted action to attract and retain high-quality educators.
Let’s rewind to 2021 when TNTP released an initial Arkansas report exposing severe teacher shortages in certain subjects and regions of the state, particularly in districts serving high populations of students of color. The report laid out three key recommendations:
Arkansas policymakers were quick to respond. Last year, they enacted the LEARNS Act, a sweeping education package that is expanding educator licensure pathways, creating a centralized information portal for would-be teachers and offering competitive financial incentives.
In addition to the three areas outlined above, Arkansas policymakers also audited state requirements for aspiring teachers. This allowed them to identify and remove barriers to the profession while maintaining rigorous licensure requirements.
Here are some specific changes they made in each of the four policy areas identified in the original TNTP report:
Teacher Pay: The LEARNS Act raised the minimum salary for teachers from $36,000 to $50,000 and provides $2,000 raises to more veteran teachers. Teachers whose students achieve above expectations and teachers willing to teach in high-demand areas can receive incentives of up to $10,000. After adjusting for cost of living, Arkansas now has the highest minimum teacher salary in the nation.
The LEARNS Act also included provisions for student loan repayments, scholarships, fee waivers and other financial incentives. Further, Arkansas now offers 12 weeks of paid maternity leave, a huge potential benefit for a workforce that’s 70% female.
Teacher Pathways: For non-educators with a bachelor’s degree or higher, the Arkansas Professional Educator Pathway (ArPEP) and the Arkansas Teacher Corps5 (ATC) enable qualified candidates to work as full-time, paid teachers while they complete the requirements for a standard, five-year teaching license. For high school students and paraprofessionals, Arkansas Grow Your Own is an additional framework that districts can use to design pathways to teacher licensure rooted in high-quality clinical experiences and aligned with district needs.
Teacher Resources: Forward Arkansas, a local nonprofit organization, and the Arkansas Department of Education created Teach Arkansas, a centralized source of clear and digestible information about Arkansas’ pathways to teacher licensure and the financial incentives available to aspiring teachers.
Teacher Licensure: Recently, the Arkansas Department of Education launched the Licensure Assessment Ready program to provide no-cost, high-quality tutoring and resources to help educators be ready for the licensure examination. This program is similar to ones established over the past year in North Carolina and Rhode Island. Notably, Arkansas also has examined which licensure requirements may no longer be necessary and whether there are other ways for teachers to demonstrate subject-matter competency.
Looking to the future, the new TNTP report makes four recommendations for Arkansas to build on its recent success and keep up the momentum:
Arkansas’s transformative work to address teacher shortages offers valuable lessons for other states grappling with similar teacher workforce challenges.
Incentivizing highly effective teachers and attracting teachers to high-demand areas is a potent incentive to attract and retain talented educators. By recognizing the pivotal role teachers play in shaping future generations and compensating them accordingly, Arkansas has signaled a commitment to valuing education as a profession worthy of competitive compensation. This approach boosts morale among current teachers and entices prospective educators into the field.
Beyond teacher pay—which often grabs headlines but doesn’t tell the whole story—the state took a holistic approach to addressing teacher shortages. Actions included developing new and better career pathways, enhanced communication with aspiring teachers and a critical review of current licensure requirements. By offering clear career progression routes for aspiring teachers at every stage of their learning and also fostering open dialogue with those considering a career in education, the state is creating a supportive environment conducive to attracting and retaining top talent to its educator workforce.
Arkansas’s reassessment of licensure requirements ensures that the licensing process is streamlined and relevant. It also provides opportunities to identify and remove unnecessary barriers for aspiring teachers while maintaining standards of quality and professionalism.
Overall, Arkansas’s comprehensive approach provides a blueprint for states seeking to rejuvenate their education systems by prioritizing and strengthening their teaching workforce.
Arkansas’s commitment to offering supportive licensure pathways designed to produce “day-one-ready” teachers and offering competitive teacher salaries is noteworthy and commendable. The state has positioned itself as an example to learn from as policymakers across the nation work to strengthen their teacher workforce.
