LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Educators are coming to Las Vegas from all over the world to help fill our teacher shortage.
Through word of mouth and social media, aspiring teachers are hearing about CCSD's plan to get them into classrooms more quickly. The movement to find quality teachers outside of the silver state is working.
Kevin Fischer is a long way from home. This music lover left his childhood home in New Jersey for one reason.
"I'm going to work special ed. I worked a lot of special ed back home."
When Kevin is not drumming, he's taking classes to become a teacher. And like other out of state candidates, CCSD is always hiring unlike his home district.
"There aren't a lot of vacancies. Not compared to Vegas."
Erik Lechner moved here to teach after hearing about the program from a friend.
"I was substitute teaching back home in Pennsylvania."
Kevin and Erik are part of CCSD's Accelerated licensure teacher academy.
The program gets college graduates into the classroom so they can earn a living while they go back to school to get their teaching credentials. The ALTA program isn't offered in every state--making Las Vegas an attractive move.
So far, Eriks says it's going great. "I absolutely love it. They remind me of the kids I had back home. I loved those kids with everything I had and I love these kids just as much."
Since 2014, CCSD has welcomed more than 1700 people into the ALTA program. And about 10% of our candidates come from out of state. They bring their own passion and their own beat to our classrooms.
