Fast-tracking teachers is a real solution to a real problem

Great programs do not happen by chance — they are built with intention.

Our province is growing at an unprecedented rate, leaving teachers overwhelmed and stretched thin.

Bottom line: help is needed. Overcrowded classrooms filled with many different complex needs is a serious problem that needs serious answers.

A one-year developmental certificate recently introduced in Alberta allows final-year education students to work as teachers while they finish their last year of studies. This pathway goes beyond practicum experience and offers future teachers an opportunity to take a page from the long-standing success of 4-H — learn to do by doing.

Educators know that research supports hands-on learning. The same concept can be applied to adult learning.

Increased retention and deeper understanding occur when we have the opportunity to put skills into action. We learn through our mistakes. When given the chance to pivot and re-evaluate when things don’t go as planned, we’re able to refine and strengthen our practices.

Prerequisite skills and concepts are essential to ensure teachers are equipped with the pedagogy needed behind the practice. But until future teachers are allowed to apply these concepts in a classroom setting, it remains simply a concept. Giving education students the option to do their learning in a classroom a year early allows them to put their skills into action.

Additionally, internationally educated teachers will now be able to teach under a conditional teacher certificate as they complete specific Alberta-required bachelor of education coursework. Cutting the red tape for qualified international teachers in Alberta is a positive step in the right direction.

Finally, by expediting pathways for experienced tradespeople and professionals who are educated in specific fields and have real-world experience, Alberta is proving again that we are not afraid to think outside of the box. Students will benefit by learning from trades teachers with real-world experience as they prepare for their future outside of the classroom.

In 2025, specialty trade contractors ranked second in Alberta for the highest level of job vacancy. This is an important statistic to pay attention to. Increasingly, young people are choosing not to go into the trades. Failure to address this trend will result in compounding issues for Alberta’s next generation. Expedited trade teacher certification is a forward-thinking solution to encourage the next generation of youth to work in high-demand careers.

Do teachers need to worry about their profession being watered down by these expedited pathways?

Measures have been taken to ensure that trade and specialized pathways include essential coursework in teacher preparation and a supervised practicum. Years of experience and/or prior education have more than equipped tradespeople and skilled professionals in the “what.” Instead, coursework can focus on the “how,” including foundational practices on things such as classroom management that will ensure they have the best pedagogical learning to support their experience in the classroom. Finally, practicum support with mentor teachers is another essential step to prepare, equip and support tradespeople and skilled professionals to be successful as they transition into the teaching profession.

Here is the bottom line: the government is not forcibly enlisting people into these new expedited teacher pathways. Autonomy is given to decide if teaching is a career that suits individual aptitudes.

The four new expedited teacher pathways offer solutions to two large problems in Alberta. First, immediate relief will be felt as teachers can begin working in the classroom earlier through the expedited developmental teacher certificate and conditional teacher certificate for foreign teachers.

Finally, the opportunity for tradespeople and specialized professionals to receive an interim teacher certificate will strengthen CTS programs and help students realize their potential for in-demand careers in trades and other niche subjects.

These new pathways allow qualified individuals to enter the teaching profession while maintaining the highest level of standards. These are real solutions to real problems.

The future is bright in Alberta.

Kayla deRegt is a certified teacher and an ATA member. She is also an independent school society member and executive director for Students First Alberta, which promotes education choice.