DENVER – May 7, 2024: The Colorado Department of Higher Education honored Colorado’s future educators at an in-person event on Monday, May 6 as part of Teacher Appreciation Week (May 6-10).
The sixth annual Future Educator Honor Roll celebrated 66 outstanding teacher candidates from Colorado’s educator preparation programs including 25 students from the state’s Teacher Recruitment Education and Preparation (TREP) program, which creates the opportunity for qualified students in an educator career pathway to concurrently enroll in postsecondary courses and earn college credit at no tuition costs to them or their families, for up to two years after their 12th-grade year.
While educator shortages remain a concern across the country, CDHE prioritizes celebrating and elevating future educators to help fill in-demand professions. Governor Jared Polis provided a video stressing the importance of educators.
“We know that education is the best investment we can make for the future of our state and we are so proud of the educators working to help our students achieve and thrive,” said Polis.
“My experience as a teacher has been one of my greatest achievements and one of the most fulfilling parts of my life," said CDHE Executive Director, Dr. Angie Paccione. "Teaching opened doors to make a broader impact in the lives of others. I am excited for you to experience that for yourselves as you embark on this next step of your journey.”
The event began with remarks from Colorado Department of Education Commissioner, Dr. Susana Cordova and 2024 Teacher of the Year, Jessica May. The ceremony was capped off with a candidate certificate presentation.
Profiles of the candidates are available on the CDHE website.