Accelerator grads filling public school teaching vacancies

This fall, 210 graduates of Achieve Miami’s Teacher Accelerator Program (TAP) are stepping into classrooms across Miami-Dade County, helping to fill teaching vacancies for the new academic year.

The program, now in its third year, has grown nearly fivefold and has become the second-largest provider of teachers to Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The new teachers include recent college graduates, career changers with bachelor’s degrees, and nearly half are former substitute teachers from the program’s partnership with Kelly Education, who are now transitioning into full-time roles.

Launched in partnership with the University of Miami and Teach for America, TAP was created to fast-track graduating seniors and career changers into teaching positions in local schools, helping address the shortage of educators.

According to the Florida Education Association, the statewide teachers union, there were nearly 10,000 vacancies in Florida schools at the start of the 2024-25 academic year, with Miami-Dade alone accounting for almost 700 openings.

The one-semester course, followed by a six-week paid internship, equips participants with practical skills and mentorship, preparing them to lead classrooms on day one. After a successful pilot at UM, the program expanded in spring 2024 to Miami Dade College and Florida International University, opening enrollment to career changers and broadening its reach to more candidates.

“Over the course of three years, we’ve trained more than 500 teachers, many now working in Miami-Dade schools as well as public, private and charter schools across South Florida,” said Jasmine Calin-Micek, TAP’s senior director. “This last summer, we were able to recruit and train 210 new educators who are getting ready to start the school year.”

The program emphasizes both professional and pedagogical development, ensuring that new teachers are equipped for a variety of classroom settings and have practical experience in their given subject area.

“We focus on building what we call strong starters – teachers who can start the school year ready to lead, regardless of the setting,” Ms. Calin-Micek said.

This year, half of TAP’s graduates were former substitute teachers moving into full-time roles. “Our partnership with Kelly Education has been phenomenal,” said Ms. Calin-Micek. “The substitute teacher pool is a really important tool within the larger ecosystem of educators. They already know what it’s like to be in a classroom, and many have decided that teaching is the career they want to pursue long-term. We know they’re committed, prepared and ready to stay in the profession.”

Looking ahead, TAP hopes to expand into Broward County and continue growing its candidate pool. Ms. Calin-Micek described the intergenerational aspect of the cohorts as a unique feature: recent graduates, mid-career professionals and retirees collaborate and learn from one another, creating a supportive and diverse community of educators.

“Our mission is to make sure every student has a high-quality, dedicated teacher,” Ms. Calin-Micek said. “We’re proud of our graduates and alumni, and we’re excited to see the ripple effect their work will have across South Florida.”

Applications for the 2026 TAP cohort are already open, with more than 100 interviews scheduled. Candidates can learn more and submit forms at teacheraccelerator.org.

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