It’s clear that Colorado is in a teacher shortage crisis. About 3,000 to 3,500 openings need to be filled for the coming school year across Colorado’s 178 public school districts, according to the Colorado Department of Higher Education. On top of that, enrollment in and completion of educator-preparation programs have declined by 24% and 17%, respectively, since 2010. Nearly a third of Colorado educators will be eligible for retirement over the next several years.

Retaining high quality teachers starts with pay. Teacher pay has declined 7.7% in Colorado over the past decade. The average starting salary for teachers in Colorado is 9% lower than the national average, $32,126 versus $36,141. As a result, the state annually licenses approximately 50% of its teachers from out-of-state.

All of our kids deserve access to great schools and high quality teachers, no matter what neighborhood they live in. Lawmakers are debating the budget and they need to hear from you now. We need resources to recruit and retain great teachers in all Colorado communities.