OKLAHOMA CITY –Due to ongoing teacher shortages, Oklahoma has employed more than 20,000 emergency certified teachers in the past five years alone.
These instructors do not have a full teaching license, but programs are available to put them on a fast track to the classroom. To become an emergency certified teacher, you must pass a background check, have a bachelor’s degree and pass a competency exam related to a specific subject.
A teacher who once received an emergency certification, Judith Huerta, says that despite only stepping into the role a few years ago, she has had a lifetime of experience.
“I feel like my experiences put me in a position where I could connect with kids in ways that other people might not be able to,” Huerta said.
Huerta teaches English as a second language, a field of study she had to master after moving to America.
That didn’t mean that my teachers held me to a low standard,” Huerta said. “On the contrary, they still had very high expectations of me. Because of what they poured into me, I wanted to be able to create similar spaces for my students as well.”
Despite her skills, Huerta said her path to teaching was not a journey shared by most teachers. Huerta worked for an immigrant rights organization before taking the job of community resource coordinator with Oklahoma City Public Schools.
Huerta says her job with OKCPS put her in school halls and on a new path to the classroom.
“I was able to see and work with [administration] and teachers [who] were creating welcoming spaces for their students,” Huerta said. “I wanted to be able to do that, and at the time, there was a cohort that was created for a master’s program in educational leadership. So I took that, and I finished it.”
OKCPS leaders, like Assistant Superintendent Brad Herzer, say those opportunities help aspiring instructors like Huerta feel supported.
“We need to put as [many] resources as we can into them, so that we grow them and continue to make them feel like they’re being supported,” Herzer Said.
Herzer, the chief talent officer for Oklahoma City Public Schools, says the district has already invested many resources into professional development, putting emergency certified teachers on a path to full certification.
“We need people that have high character, that treat kids great,” Herzer Said. “It’s a challenging environment, But It’s very rewarding when you see those kids that are successful.”
Huerta is now one of those fully-certified teachers, with hopes of becoming a principal.
“I feel like i am a more understanding person,” Huerta said. “Teaching is for those who are ready to walk with a purpose. I think there’s a phrase that says ‘Those who can’t do, teach,’ but it should really be to say, ‘Those who can do and those who understand teach.’”
