Arizona Teachers Academy to receive $15 million in funding, will help alleviate academy waitlists

“Today, I am very pleased to announce that Governor Ducey has allocated $15 million to the Arizona Teachers Academy to support the education of our future teachers,” said Arizona Board of Regents Chair Lyndel Manson. “The academy is an extremely important and popular program at our universities, providing scholarships in exchange for teaching service for students who want to become teachers. In fact, the program is so popular that we have students on waitlists to join the academy and receive this outstanding scholarship. Arizona’s young students need great teachers in our classrooms and the academy is a significant pathway to produce more quality teachers for our children.”

Chair Manson shared that the program continues to grow and demand has exceeded available funding. For the past several weeks, she said the board has been working closely with the Governor’s Office to secure necessary funding for the academy.

"I am grateful for this latest iteration of the governor's ongoing partnership and commitment to addressing the teachers' shortage. When I first proposed the academy, the governor immediately embraced it and has funded it annually the last four years. As it grows to scale, we are making a real dent in the teachers' shortage in Arizona. This is important progress for our students and our state, and I celebrate this great news,” said Regent Fred DuVal.  

The fifth year of the academy brought the largest enrollment at 3,310 students who benefitted from the scholarship.

“I am very grateful for the governor’s ongoing commitment to this program, to our children and to the future of our state,” said Chair Manson.