Georgia Approves iteach®, a New and Innovative Route to Earn Teacher Certification

New GaTAPP pathway expands access to teaching careers and addresses critical shortages with flexible, evidence-based training.

DENTON, Texas, June 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- K12 Coalition is proud to announce the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) has approved iteach^®, a nationally accredited educator preparation provider, to offer its flexible, competency-based teacher preparation programs in Georgia. This landmark approval offers a streamlined pathway for career changers and paraprofessionals to enter the classroom amid significant teacher shortages.

iteach, powered by K12 Coalition, provides a competency-based instructional model that combines online coursework with a supervised teaching residency. Effective immediately, Georgia candidates can access two distinct pathways:

• Initial Teacher Certification: A flexible GaTAPP program for career changers and recent graduates transitioning into teaching.
• Elementary Add-on Program: A one-year GaTAPP program for certified educators seeking to add Elementary Education (P–5) to their Georgia teaching certificate.

"To fix the nationwide teaching shortage, we must aggressively expand the pipelines that bring top talent into our schools," said Andrew Rozell, president of iteach. "By broadening the routes into the profession in Georgia, we're empowering districts to fill their vacancies with prepared professionals who are ready to make a difference on day one."

Data-Driven Solutions for Georgia Districts
Georgia's educator pipeline increasingly relies on alternative routes; 90% of teachers prepared through these pathways secure employment, compared to 73.4% of traditional graduates. However, most existing GaTAPP programs are limited to candidates employed within a specific district or regional service area. As a statewide GaTAPP provider, iteach expands access to flexible certification pathways for aspiring and certified educators across Georgia, including candidates in rural and hard-to-staff communities who might not have access to a local provider. iteach works to address the state's teaching shortage by offering:

• Scale and Flexibility: Continuous enrollment allows candidates to begin coursework immediately and start teaching on a flexible timeline.
• High-Impact Training: A new Adolescent Literacy course, developed by Keys to Literacy, equips 4th–12th grade teachers with Science of Reading-aligned strategies for vocabulary and comprehension.
• Comprehensive Support: Candidates receive GACE exam preparation through Passage Preparation™, access to Teaching Channel's professional video learning library and ongoing coaching, supervision, and professional support from iteach.

As the first non-university provider accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), iteach has helped more than 30,000 educators across 18 states become certified educators. iteach is designed for affordability, and features low upfront costs and deferred payment options to ensure financial barriers don't prevent qualified candidates from becoming successful, effective educators.

"The approval of iteach as a statewide GaTAPP provider helps address Georgia's teacher workforce needs by creating flexible opportunities for aspiring educators to enter the classroom while ensuring candidates receive the training, support, and preparation necessary to become qualified, committed teachers who can positively impact students across our state," says Stephanie Dobbins, Executive Director of Georgia Association of School Personnel Administrators (GASPA).

Interested Georgia residents can start their journey this summer. Learn more at iteach.net/georgia.

About iteach
iteach is a high-quality, trusted, competency-based alternative teacher preparation and certification program that combines the convenience of online learning with a supervised teaching residency. Now part of the certified B Corp K12 Coalition, iteach was founded in 2003 to help talented people become educators while avoiding the high costs and time commitments of some traditional educator preparation programs. iteach was the first educator preparation provider outside of a college or university to receive accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), and has helped over 30,000 teachers become certified. The iteach model has been so successful at preparing high-quality educators on a large scale that the program now offers state-approved certification programs in 18 states and counting. Learn more at iteach.net.

About K12 Coalition 
K12 Coalition is a collective of specialized education products and services with a common mission to provide a great education for every student in every classroom every day. The company offers deep expertise in solving five macro K-12 education challenges: teacher certification, professional learning, literacy and math curriculum, accelerated student learning through summer school, and district support, including strategic planning and consulting. Learn more at k12coalition.com. 

Media Contact
Alex Fairchild
[email protected]

SOURCE K12 Coalition