Arkansas Teacher Corps Making a Difference in State's Highest-Need Communities

Recruit. Train. License. Support. Teach.

These tentpoles of the Arkansas Teacher Corps (ATC), a three-year program that develops teachers' knowledge, skills and mindsets in the classroom, guide the organization's daily work as it combats teacher shortages in the highest-need communities across Arkansas.

Thanks to a new three-year, $5.1 million grant from the Walton Family Foundation, ATC is on track to train at least 114 new fellows - novice teachers pursuing certification who will go on to improve outcomes for generations of students across the state.

Fellows like Dedrick and TyKesha Cross, a married couple who completed ATC training in 2020 and 2023, respectively. They now use their ATC experience to impact students in Pine Bluff while supporting other ATC fellows across Arkansas.

"Arkansas Teacher Corps saved my life, and those are not just words; it is the true essence of how I feel about the program," TyKesha Cross said. "I know my purpose, and when you find your purpose, it's not a job."

ATC is a partnership between the College of Education and Health Professions, the Walton Family Foundation, the Arkansas Department of Education and participating Arkansas K-12 school districts. With these grant funds, ATC can ensure the successful training and expansion of its next three cohorts of fellows. 

"Every kid in Arkansas deserves a high quality education. Yet, far too many schools, particularly those in the highest need communities throughout eastern and southern Arkansas, struggle to recruit and retain licensed teachers," said ATC Executive Director Brandon Lucius. "As a homegrown solution to these ongoing teacher shortages, the Arkansas Teacher Corps continues to provide a rigorous, accessible pathway to licensure for aspiring teachers of all ages and backgrounds, and this generous funding means that thousands of students in an additional 114 Arkansas classrooms will be taught by a licensed educator instead."

To date, ATC has recruited, trained and supported 13 cohorts of more than 326 teachers in 95 schools and 42 school districts throughout central, eastern and southern Arkansas. A total of 128 ATC fellows have completed the three-year fellowship, with 84% earning a standard five-year teaching license in one or more content areas, resulting in 217 total certifications.

Fellows come from a variety of backgrounds. Of those teaching in 2025-26, 61% were uncertified teachers, 14% were miscellaneous school staff members, 16% were changing careers and 8% were recent college graduates.

"ATC came along when I didn't know what I was going to do," said Vann Jarmon, a 2023 fellow teaching in the McGhee School District. "I was going with the flow. Once I became a fellow, everything in my life started to fall in place. I'm grateful for that."

Arkansas' underserved communities are benefiting not just from additional support but from educators who excel in the profession and want to stay in their districts long-term.

Nearly 10% of ATC fellows have earned "Teacher of the Year" honors from their school, district or a professional organization, highlighting ATC's track record of developing highly skilled teachers. ATC teachers are also 20% more likely to be Arkansas educators after five years compared to non-ATC teachers in the same districts. 

ATC fellows embrace its cohort model, often commenting on how important the relationships they build with other fellows are to their own success.

"Every challenge, every laugh, every long night of planning, we've been on this journey together," said Ginny Heisler, a 2025 fellow from the Pine Bluff School District. "It's not just about teaching, it's about becoming the kind of educator, leader and human I always hoped I could be."

ATC was awarded the College of Education and Health Professions' 2025 Service to Arkansas Award for the extraordinary care they have demonstrated for Arkansas and Arkansans. 

To read more about the work and mission of the Arkansas Teacher Corps, visit their website.