Bringing a world of experience to
K-12 classrooms

For Metropolitan State College of Denver, the role of doctors, lawyers, professional ballerinas and military veterans can be summed up in one word - teacher. They represent a sample of the kinds of professionals choosing to participate in alternative teacher licensure programs at the College to become K-12 teachers.

They are among the increasing number of participants enrolling in the Teacher In Residence (TIR), Colorado Accelerated Special Education Licensure (CASEL) and the Alternative Licensure Program (ALP) at Metro State. The number of first-year participants in the three programs, each offering an alternative path to obtaining teacher licensure, has increased 40 percent from last year at this time. Choosing to teach is a common next step for those looking for second or third careers, according to Greg Reed, director of the TIR and ALP programs.

“Most of our participants have a number of years of experience in the working world,” says Reed, who had a 30-year career in K-12 education before coming to the College in 2005. “They’ve tested out other professions and they have a realistic, mature idea of what they’re getting into when they decide to go into teaching.”

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