Douglas County School District- Alternative Licensure Program

The Alternative Licensure Teacher Program is a two-year program designed for general education teachers.

• Most participants begin the program on July 1, just before the school year starts. In this case, the program runs across two full school years, ending in May of the second year.
• If you join the program mid-school year, your two-year timeline will begin from your official start date and follow a two-year calendar cycle.

An alternative teaching license allows you to start teaching right away while you complete your teacher preparation program. You'll earn a salary, take classes outside of school hours, and most importantly, gain valuable hands-on experience in your own classroom. This real-world experience is a critical part of your development as a teacher, helping you grow your skills as you learn and teach at the same time.

Throughout the program, you'll gain hands-on learning that prepares you to teach students from all backgrounds.

• Each month, you'll join fellow educators after school for seminars where you’ll collaborate, reflect and build skills to support every learner—using research-based strategies in planning, instruction and assessment.
• You’ll also participate in Learning Lab Days twice a year, where you’ll visit real classrooms, observe experienced teachers, and reflect on what you’ve learned—giving you practical tools to strengthen your own teaching.

District, school and peer coaching are key elements of the Alternative Licensure Program. The program is designed to help you build strong relationships with mentors, peers and district coaches—forming a collaborative community of learners focused on supporting students and engaging in continuous improvement.

The Alternative Licensure Program is dedicated to continuous improvement and excellence in teaching. It supports educators at all experience levels, helping them refine their teaching philosophies and grow as professionals. Through differentiated support and alignment with the Colorado Teacher Quality Standards—the framework for all teacher preparation programs—this program fosters meaningful professional development while ensuring all requirements are met.