Solving the TK teacher shortage with Scoot and TeachStart

With the rollout of universal transitional kindergarten in California, schools are facing a big problem: finding experienced and qualified teachers to fill these new classrooms.

Many schools are scrambling to hire TK teachers who have both the right credentials and early childhood expertise. This staffing shortage is leaving many schools in a tough spot, especially as TK enrollment continues to grow. 250,000 more children are expected to enter TK over the next three years!

Scoot and TeachStart offer a two-pronged solution: address immediate fires with qualified Scoot educators and develop long-term teachers via TeachStart’s teacher credentialing program.

Table of contents:

• Understanding the opportunity
• The challenge of finding qualified teachers
• The short-term solution: How Scoot makes finding TK teachers easy
• A long-term solution: Growing your own TK teachers
• Looking ahead: Solve your TK staffing challenges with Scoot and TeachStart

Understanding the opportunity

Transitional kindergarten is a new grade-level designed for 4-year-olds. It combines play-based learning with early academic concepts. California now offers this program free to all 4-year-olds starting in the 2025-2026 school year.

This is a game changer for families. Quality early childhood education (ECE) programs help children succeed in school and beyond – the research proves it, and parents see the difference firsthand.

The challenge is making sure schools are prepared to deliver the quality education children deserve. So far, the rollout has been a bit bumpy.

The challenge of finding qualified teachers

California requires TK teachers to have both a teaching credential and early childhood education experience—a combination that’s surprisingly rare.

Many preschool teachers have years of experience with 4-year-olds, but lack the credential or 24 ECE units. Meanwhile, credentialed teachers often have little experience with this young age.

Without qualified teachers, classrooms become understaffed and can’t meet the required 10:1 student-teacher ratio. As a result, children miss out on personalized attention and developmentally-appropriate instruction that meets their unique needs.

The short-term solution: How Scoot makes finding TK teachers easy

Scoot Education connects schools with paraprofessionals and aides who understand 4-year-olds and meet state requirements to support TK classrooms. The result? You get more TK aides to meet the 10:1 student-teacher ratio.

When we hire and place educators, we also check for the following:

• TK teaching skills: Extensive experience working with preschool and TK ages
• Community alignment: The mindset and cultural responsiveness that aligns with a school’s unique classroom climate and academic standards
• Inclusive programming: Experience working in special education or bilingual education

Beyond filling vacancies, we go the extra mile to find the perfect classroom fit. Each placement is carefully matched based on teaching style and cultural alignment.

The difference TK experience makes

We can intentionally vet for educators who excel at nurturing curiosity and a love of learning through play, take care of toileting accidents, and respond to behavior in an age and developmentally appropriate way. They bring the skills that help young children thrive.

Success story: Value Charter Schools

The challenge

One charter network faced empty TK classrooms that needed educators who understood TK’s unique blend of play-based learning and academic readiness. Standard substitutes weren’t cutting it.

The Scoot solution

We took time to understand what each campus needed, then matched experienced TK educators, paraprofessionals, and behavior support specialists.

When one school needed both a long-term TK teacher and aide, we provided a complete classroom team through our substitutes and TeachStart, a teacher credentialing program.

The result
Over two school years, we’ve covered 100 TK classroom days by matching the right people to the right environments. Our partner was able to get consistent coverage from educators who actually want to be there.

Request TK coverage

A long-term solution: Growing your own TK teachers

While substitute coverage solves immediate needs, building your own teacher pipeline is the more sustainable answer to TK staffing challenges. That’s where TeachStart comes in.

How TeachStart works

TeachStart recruits educators who already have ECE experience and can work as full-time TK aides while we help them earn their teaching  credentials. At the end of the program, you can hire them as lead TK teachers.

You get immediate classroom support and a pipeline of qualified TK teachers who understand both early childhood development and your school’s culture.

Why this creates lasting success

Teachers integrated with your community become invested in your school’s success. Having worked at your school for a year, they understand your unique classroom culture and academic expectations and have proven they can handle the unique challenges of TK education.

You get a seamless transition from aide to teacher – no stressful hiring process and no wondering if they’ll be a good fit. They’re already part of your team.

How TeachStart helps an aspiring ECE teacher

It’s undeniably difficult finding transitional kindergarten teachers right now.

The reality is there are many great people in your community who want to become teachers but face bureaucratic and financial barriers. TeachStart makes it possible.

Allison Davis is one of those passionate and experienced educators who might have left education entirely if not for TeachStart opening a path for her.

Allison started as a helping hand to her mother, a veteran preschool teacher, and gradually led classroom activities over 10 years. Despite this extensive experience, she couldn’t apply to teaching positions without formal ECE credits.

Facing these barriers, she was ready to pivot to event planning. Then she found TeachStart—a way to earn credentials while working in the classroom.

Today, Allison gets to pursue a career doing what she loves most—the creativity and wonder of working with preschool, TK, and kindergarten ages.

Looking ahead: Solve your TK staffing challenges with Scoot and TeachStart

Transform your TK staffing challenges into opportunities. Connect with experienced educators today while building tomorrow’s teacher pipeline.

Let’s discuss how Scoot or TeachStart can fill your TK staffing gaps with experienced and qualified teachers.

Request TK coverage