Specifications include, but are not limited to: Delaware’s K-12 educational system includes: • Statewide enrollment of more than 138,000 students, including diverse student populations and high mobility rates among some groups • 42 Local Education Agencies (LEAs), including 19 districts and 23 state-approved charter schools, with enrollments ranging from several hundred students to over 17,000 • 217 rural, urban and suburban schools • More than 9,000 teachers, with over 7,000 in core subjects As cited in the 2017 Delaware Talent Practices Report, Impact ED, March 2018, Delaware District and Charter Hiring Directors are experiencing increasing difficulty finding qualified teachers: • Chronic challenges continue in staffing certain subject areas such as math, science, immersion, and special education • District and charter school personnel directors cite a small and declining candidate pool as the main concern about the current state of hiring • On a national level from 2009 to 2014, enrollment in teacher education programs has dropped 35%, and nearly 8% of teachers leave the profession every year • In Delaware, from 2013 to 2016, the number of candidates from educator preparation programs fell by 49% Alternate route to certification (ARTC) programs are a growing source of source of qualified educators: • More directors are recruiting from an alternative certification program. (2017 Delaware Talent Practices Report, Impact ED, March 2018) • The number of approved ARTC programs has expanded from three to eleven • Enrollment in all ARTC programs is increasing