Dallas City News

A new initiative funded by The Dallas Foundation aims to combat the ongoing teacher shortage in DFW by eliminating financial barriers for aspiring educators.

The partnership between City Year and Uplift Education provides scholarships for alternative teacher certification by helping City Year corps members transition seamlessly into full-time teaching roles at Uplift Education schools.

Texas faces a critical teacher shortage, with nearly 45% of new hires entering the profession uncertified, often without formal classroom training. The new program, Corps Member Pathways to Teaching, addresses these challenges by providing hands-on experience and mentorship to develop qualified and committed educators for the Dallas community.

The scholarships, funded through The Dallas Foundation’s What Else Do You Need to Be Awesome Together Fund (WEDYNTBA Together Fund), cover the costs of alternative teacher certification, which is typically around $5,000 per person. These expenses, including upfront exam fees, can present a significant financial hurdle for aspiring educators.

“A strong educational foundation is essential to long-term success, and that begins with having well-prepared educators in the classroom,” said Vickie Allen, Chief Impact Officer at The Dallas Foundation. “By investing in future teachers through this initiative, we are strengthening the pipeline of qualified educators who will make a lasting impact on Dallas students.”

By removing this barrier, the program ensures that individuals with valuable classroom experience through City Year can take the next step toward certification.

“Teachers are critical to the lifeline of our students’ education. And these two organizations come together, really do set a new monumental milestone for what’s possible in teaching and education moving forward,” said Allen.

The idea for this initiative was sparked by the physical proximity of City Year and Uplift Education within The Water Cooler at Pegasus Park, a nonprofit shared space designed to foster collaboration. The Dallas Foundation, a managing partner at The Water Cooler, played a key role in connecting the two organizations and supporting the program’s development.

“This initiative came to life thanks to the collaboration fostered at The Water Cooler,” said Allen. “Being in the same space sparked conversations about teacher recruitment challenges, leading to this innovative solution.”

The WEDYNTBA Together Fund specifically supports collaborative initiatives between nonprofits at The Water Cooler, helping them work together to solve pressing community issues.

The program is already making a difference. Reagan Reyes, a second-year City Year corps member serving as a Team Leader at Uplift Hampton, is one of the first scholarship recipients. Having grown up in Dallas, Reyes is committed to giving back to her community and is now on the path to becoming a certified teacher.

“After witnessing the challenges of teacher shortages and high turnover, I realized I wanted to transition from City Year into the classroom as a full-time teacher,” said Reyes. “This scholarship has made that possible, removing financial barriers and allowing me to pursue my passion for education.”

So far, five scholarship recipients have been selected, with the majority entering high-need subject areas like science and math. Nationally, nearly 48% of City Year alumni who become teachers choose to work in the districts where they served, demonstrating the deep connections they build with their school communities.