As Arizona faces a decade-long K-12 teacher shortage, Maricopa Community Colleges is taking significant steps to address the deficit through affordable education-focused bachelor’s degrees and access to scholarship opportunities.
“If we want Arizona’s K-12 students to learn the essential skills needed for college and career readiness, our classrooms will need well-trained teachers,” said Dr. Steven R. Gonzales, Chancellor of Maricopa Community Colleges. “By providing affordable, high-quality bachelor’s degree programs, we’re helping close a critical workforce gap so that every child has access to the exceptional educators they deserve.”
The Big Picture
Every day in Arizona’s K-12 classrooms, students are learning new skills—reading, writing, math, science, and the arts. With the ongoing teacher shortage, many students are being taught by substitutes or by educators who don’t meet state requirements, leaving gaps that affect students, their families, and school leaders.
During the 2024-25 school year, about 25.4% of teacher vacancies remained unfilled, and 52.2% were filled by underqualified teachers. Since July 2025, more than 1,000 additional teachers have permanently left the classroom, while 4,000 vacancies have been temporarily filled. Educators are leaving the profession mainly due to low pay and burnout. Arizona teachers earned an average of $62,714 during the 2023-24 academic year, placing the state 29th in national salaries ranking.
Solutions for Arizona’s Future
For many, the cost of a bachelor’s degree at a traditional four-year public university simply outweighs the pay that they may earn as a K-12 teacher. To make the teaching profession more accessible, Maricopa Community Colleges offers two education-focused, affordable bachelor’s degrees—Early Childhood Education - Dual Language and Elementary Education and Special Education. With tuition savings up to 75% compared to an in-state public university, aspiring teachers can pursue their dreams without incurring overwhelming student loan debt.
“I do believe the future of Arizona starts with teachers," said Gabriel Relf, Rio Salado College bachelor’s degree graduate and current fifth-grade science teacher at Madrid Neighborhood School. “College being affordable for teachers makes a huge difference.”
During the Spring 2025 Commencement season, more than 300 students graduated with education-focused associate and bachelor’s degrees. Today, over 2,050 students are enrolled across the two education-focused bachelor’s degree programs.
“If I hadn’t had the opportunity to attend Rio, I definitely wouldn’t be in the classroom right now,” continued Relf. “But because Maricopa Community Colleges offered the four-year degree at such an affordable price, I believe that many more teachers could make that decision if they knew it was possible.”
Supporting Tomorrow’s K-12 Educators with Scholarships
In 2025, Arizona expanded access to the Arizona Teachers Academy (ATA), allowing community college students in education-focused four-year degree programs to apply for the scholarship, now offered through programs at five of the system’s 10 colleges. In return, scholarship recipients commit to teaching in Arizona public schools for one year after graduation, providing a direct pipeline to qualified educators in K-12 classrooms.
Learn more at maricopa.edu.