AURORA, Colo. — Colorado's teacher shortage is still a concern, but Cherry Creek School District is heading into the 2026-27 school year feeling confident about its staffing numbers.
The district welcomed just over 300 new educators at its annual new educator orientation, including classroom teachers at the elementary, middle and high school levels, as well as mental health providers, speech language pathologists and occupational therapists.
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Monica Garcia, the district's director of human resources, said the energy in the room reflected the enthusiasm new hires are bringing to their classrooms.
"A lot of excitement and positive energy," Garcia said.
The district is not seeing a significant increase in vacancies compared to previous years, Garcia said, with just over 10 openings still being addressed — most of which came up late in the summer.
"Our greatest resources are humans, right? And so, the more adults that we have to work with our students for those connection points, the more successful our students will be," Garcia said.
That confidence comes even as Colorado recorded more than 270 teaching vacancies last year. Garcia said Cherry Creek is prioritizing making sure students have the attention and resources they need.
Among the new faces is Sydney King, a first-year teacher who will be teaching second grade at High Plains Elementary. King said one word captures how she is feeling heading into the school year.
"One word to describe it is just eager, really, just to get into the classroom to meet all my students," King said.
For King, the heart of teaching comes down to something simple.
"One thing that I truly find so much joy in is building a child's confidence," King said.
"It makes me feel really proud just to be able to contribute and know that I'm doing everything that I can and what I love to do to help out," King said.
Also joining Cherry Creek this year is Cecelia Vigil. Vigil is in her 7th year of teaching but is new to the district, where she will teach 4th grade at Creekside Elementary.
"I'm just ready to see what the new year has to offer and also just get to know my kids," Vigil said.
Vigil said she has watched interest in the teaching profession decline since she started her career during the COVID-19 pandemic, and she believes passion is what separates those who stay from those who step away.
"We never wear just one hat. We wear 100 different hats, and I feel like you can't go into it unless you're really passionate about it," Vigil said.
Before any of that can happen, though, there is still plenty of prep work to do.
"My library is my biggest thing. Unpacking the books will probably take a whole day," Vigil said.
And while teachers have a lot to offer their students, Vigil said the learning goes both ways.
"They just have a whole different perspective on the world because adults can be very jaded, and they're still just very open and honest. I love the honesty," Vigil said.
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