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Denver Public Schools is taking a new approach to finding substitute teachers for some of its highest-needs schools. The district is contracting with an outside company called TeachStart that places teachers-in-training at schools to help cover classes.
TeachStart bills itself as an earn-while-you-learn opportunity for people who want to become teachers. TeachStart fellows, as they’re called, are paired with a school where they’re paid as an in-house substitute for a year while studying for their teacher licensure exam.
The idea is that once the year is up, the school district could hire them as full-time teachers. The Denver TeachStart fellows would work with the University of Colorado Denver’s ASPIRE to Teach alternative teacher preparation program, district officials said.
“It is our goal to make sure that we keep the best,” Denver Superintendent Alex Marrero told the school board Thursday night.
But some board members were skeptical. The board approved a two-year, $3.5 million contract with TeachStart in a 5-2 vote. Board Vice President Monica Hunter and member Amy Klein Molk voted no. Both were elected in November with backing from the Denver teachers union.
Hunter said in an interview that her hesitation was related to workers’ rights.
“My concern is expanding a program without having protections in place, not only for the subs and educators but for the schools,” said Hunter, a former DPS teacher who now works for the statewide teachers union, the Colorado Education Association.
Other board members were supportive, though they asked the district to shorten the length of the contract. District officials had originally proposed a five-year, $9.5 million contract.
“As a former principal and knowing how hard it is to find substitute teachers at school, through a program like this, it is the same person coming to the school,” said board member Kimberlee Sia. “They’re able to have a little more consistency with that person.”
Like many states, Colorado has a shortage of both full-time and substitute teachers. But finding substitutes is even harder at schools with low test scores, DPS officials said.
Twelve district-run DPS schools piloted TeachStart this fall with 14 fellows, district officials said. All 12 schools already get extra support and funding from the district to help them improve.
Nick Bucy, a district administrator who works with the schools, said the feedback from principals has been positive. All but one who responded to a district survey said TeachStart was worth the cost, according to a copy of the results provided to Chalkbeat.
TeachStart fellows cost $288 per day, or about $50,000 per year, which is higher than the $275-per-day rate for a regular substitute teacher, according to a board presentation. Most of that money comes out of the schools’ own budgets, district officials said.
Néstor Bravo, the principal of Abraham Lincoln High School in southwest Denver, said in an interview that the TeachStart fellow at his school started by filling in when teachers were absent but is now the long-term substitute for the school’s comprehensive health class.
“It is really hard to find subs,” Bravo said. “Finding subs that are also qualified to teach the content and stay committed to teaching the content is even harder.”
Even more schools have requested a TeachStart fellow for the upcoming semester. The district is still finalizing its plans but expects as many as 22 schools to participate, a DPS spokesperson said.
Next year, DPS hopes to expand the program to 35 fellows, district officials said. Nationwide, about half of TeachStart fellows stay on to become full-time teachers, Bucy said. About 70% of TeachStart fellows nationwide identify as people of color, though Bucy said only about a third of the initial cohort of Denver’s TeachStart fellows were people of color.
“We’re certainly pushing on TeachStart to recruit a more diverse pipeline,” Bucy said.
Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at masmar@chalkbeat.org.
Melanie Asmar 2025-12-20 00:08:55
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