The Arizona Teacher Academy more than doubled its enrollment in its second year of existence. There is more good news for the academy, which promises to pay the tuition of anyone who earns a degree from a public university in Arizona and goes on to teach in Arizona schools.
The academy had 464 students this year, up from 221 the previous year. It also had a big increase in the number of students who completed the program — from 102 its first year to 171. John Arnold, executive director of the Arizona Board of Regents, said the progress of the academy reflects a first step in making teaching in Arizona seem like an attractive career.
“I don’t think it’s just about the money, it’s about sending those signals that we as a society value teaching, we wanna celebrate teaching, we wanna make it as easy as possible for people to get into that profession," Arnold said.
Arnold said with added funding the academy plans to enroll 3,000 students next year.
