Arizona schools need teachers. A new law lets us train them. Why is that bad?

As an educator and school leader for the past 20 years, I am disappointed in the concerns and criticisms raised against a new law that will enhance teacher preparation programs throughout the state.

We need qualified teachers in public school classrooms now, not 5 to 10 years from now if we rely only on traditional teacher training programs.

While some choose to maintain the status quo, we are leaving thousands of Arizona students behind. By not diversifying the talent pool, those students who have been on the perimeter and underserved remain in this unacceptable position.

This is a crisis, and the only way forward is to allow local leaders to innovate to meet the needs of our students.

Bill allows us to identify, grow local talent

Senate Bill 1159 is about maintaining the quality and caliber of the teaching profession while accessing a qualified talent pool. We need new, bold options.

The new law empowers local school leaders, such as my team and me, to develop the tools and programs to train and certify the next generation of high-quality school teachers and leaders. These pathways are meant to be locally driven and allow for high-impact work experiences so our new hires can hit the ground on Day One.

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Most school leaders know that a significant amount of time is invested in training new teachers. The new law does not remove degree requirements for certified teachers but allows the creation of onsite teacher preparation programs so individuals can get hands on training while completing their degree.

This is a win-win for school leaders and students.

At Holladay Fine Arts Magnet, we recognize that each student is unique and there is no universal approach to learning. The same goes for training talented teachers and school leaders. Identifying high-quality talent currently at school sites and providing them with an additional pathway to become a school leader will support our efforts to retain great talent with career advancement opportunities.

At our school, we can focus on arts and creativity

We also recognize the value of cultural competence, which is scarcely taught in traditional teacher education programs. Giving school leaders this new access point for certification provides an opportunity to address this unmet need.

Holladay’s Creative Mindset approach focuses on the creativity and artistry in all of our 200 or so students. Our mission is to integrate visual and performing arts to such a degree that it fosters creativity, equity, cultural responsiveness and innovation.

This requires us to have school leaders and teachers that know and appreciate the impact of performing arts and visual arts in classroom learning. These are not skills taught in a traditional teaching program.

As a school principal, if I identify someone with great talent and who is good for students and could be the next generation of leaders, why shouldn’t I have a locally based pathway to keep that individual and allow them to grow in their career? Right now, the only path is costly, burdensome and lacks community context.

A diverse pool of talent that is locally trained is a benefit for the current teacher shortage and will help alleviate crowded classrooms and immediate staffing demands. This is an urgent need and Senate Bill 1159 is the forward-thinking solution to meet the moment.

Tonya Strozier, Ph.D., is principal of Holladay Fine Arts Magnet in the Tucson Unified School District. Reach her at  tonya.strozier@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona law gives schools freedom to train teachers. That's not bad