DENVER — Rep. Donald Valdez’s bipartisan bill that expands the Teacher Cadet Program by allowing high school students who are interested in Early Childhood Education to participate in the program passed on the House floor on Tuesday.

“Early childhood educators are an important aspect of our education system because they work with our children at a critical time in their overall development,” said Rep. Valdez, D-La Jara. “This program is critical to addressing the state’s teacher shortage, particularly in rural areas, and for serving our children’s educational needs at a younger age.

HB19-1137 allows students who are specifically interested in early childhood education to participate in Colorado’s Teacher Cadet Program. This will help address the state’s teacher shortage while helping to ensure that young children have a trained professional serving them at each and every point in their educational progression.

The bipartisan bill passed the House unanimously 62-0 and now heads to the Senate. Rep. James Wilson, R-Salida, is a co-prime sponsor on the bill.