The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) has partnered with BloomBoard, the national leader in micro-credential based career pathways for teachers, to provide a new and unique opportunity for educators to obtain state-approved endorsements in computer science (CS).
"As someone who has been in the classroom and seen the curriculum needs firsthand, supporting our teachers through this micro-endorsement program is a crucial step in not only supporting their careers, but advancing our schools, community and statewide innovation," said Kathy Hoffman, Superintendent of Public Instruction with ADE. "With more than 65% of parents, teachers, principals and superintendents in the country saying that computer science courses are as much or more important than core curriculum classes, we're eager to encourage and support districts as they respond to this growing demand and give teachers access to this new certification."
BloomBoard is currently working with a number of school districts in Arizona, including Chandler, Creighton, Bullhead City, Sonoran, and Cave Creek to provide teachers with state-approved computer science licensure. As part of this micro-endorsement, educators will gain the skills to teach computer science through a broad range of topics such as Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems, Fostering Computational Thinking, Developing Digital Citizens and more.
"After offering our teachers this opportunity with BloomBoard, we've already received an overwhelmingly positive response," said Assistant Superintendent Wendy Nance of Chandler Unified School District. "Twenty of our technology teachers are already enrolled in the program, and we're monitoring a waiting list of others. We're also excited to be able to offer salary advancement credits for this endorsement as we look to provide our educators with more personalized and empowering career advancement options."
As Arizona quickly becomes a national leader in the world of technology and cybersecurity, both in its higher education offerings, government-supported cybersecurity efforts and hosting operations for 70 cybersecurity companies, the need for computer science education is higher than ever.
"Our mission is to not only give teachers the means and options to improve their craft and advance their career and salaries, but to also support state departments of education across the country who are exploring new and important needs in education like computer science instruction," said Sanford Kenyon, CEO of BloomBoard. "What the ADE and many of these school districts are already doing through this program is truly innovative and important work to invest in the future of students throughout the state, and we are honored to partner with the department in this effort."
About ADE
Equity for all students to achieve their full potential - this is the guiding vision of the Arizona Department of Education — the state agency tasked with overseeing Arizona's K-12 public education system. Our department, led by a publicly elected Superintendent of Public Instruction, comprises more than 600 staff across four state offices working to serve Arizona's students, families, educators, and school communities.
About BloomBoard
Founded in 2010, BloomBoard is the leading platform for educator advancement via micro-credentials. The company provides customized, competency-based advancement pathways for educators to demonstrably improve their instructional practices and their career potential. BloomBoard partners with states, districts, and schools to create purpose-based roadmaps for advancing educators to different roles. This transparent structure improves schools' and districts' ability to recruit, develop, and retain effective educators. For more information, visit bloomboard.com.
