Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1546862
12 FALL 2026 | ADVOCATE K-5 LITERACY AEA is still working to change the law that imposes burdensome requirements K-5 Literacy Endorsement requirement for all K-5 educators. While Arizona is facing a critical educator shortage, more bureaucracy is not the answer. In particular, the K-5 endorsement requires 90 hours of training, plus additional homework and assignments that generally must be completed outside of contract hours. According to current Arizona Department of Education guidance, educators who do not earn the endorsement by the deadline will no longer be appropriately certified to teach English Language Arts. In practice, a kindergarten teacher with a decade of experience in the classroom could become ineligible in less than two years if he or she does not fulfill this requirement. The Endorsement Rate Proves the Educator Crisis Arizona saw a modest uptick in the last year , but fewer than 14% have done so. Completing an endorsement is a significant commitment, requiring educators to take on an arduous program on top of already demanding workloads. Across the board, educators already face unsustainable workloads and mounting burnout; and the continued loss of colleagues from the profession. e fact that fewer than 14% of educators have completed this requirement should not be viewed as a compliance problem. It is a reflection of the real challenges educators face every day and the additional burden this mandate places on a profession already under strain. AEA supports evidence-based literacy instruction and agrees that strong early reading skills are essential. But, the current implementation of the K-5 Literacy Endorsement places an unsustainable burden on educators at a time when Arizona is already struggling to retain them. Educator retention must be at the center of any effort to strengthen literacy instruction which is why AEA is committed to addressing this policy and advocating for strong literacy outcomes while respecting educators' time, expertise, and capacity to remain in the profession. AEA is Committed to Change the K-5 Literacy Endorsement Requirement AEA DOES HAVE: K-5 Literacy Test Prep One of our member leaders who has successfully earned her literacy endorsement is helping to offer to lead a 2-part test prep session (the first of which is learning about the assessment itself and taking a practice test, and the second will be a deep dive into the answers and troubleshooting wrong ones), so sign up for BOTH times. is is available to all members who would like the additional support! K-5 Literacy Endorsement Test Prep sessions are scheduled for September/October, November/ December, January/February, and April. Mobilize page to sign up!