West Valley School Districts

Make a difference. Become a teacher!

NAU is excited to announce a West Valley partnership with Tolleson, Littleton, Union, Pendergast, Buckeye, and Saddle Mountain school districts to offer pathways to teacher certification.

Follow your passion. Study locally. Serve your community.

Hands-on pathway to teacher certification

NAU, in collaboration with West Valley Elementary school districts, is offering hands-on pathways to teacher certification. When combined with the economic benefits of the Arizona Teachers Academy, it can also be tuition-free.

This unique partnership is available to anyone interested in pursuing an NAU degree that leads to teacher certification. The goal of this new partnership is to attract talented people to become educators for their community. NAU’s in-person courses will be offered in the afternoon/evening, making it convenient for paraprofessionals and other working professionals.

Benefits of the partnership

Benefits

The benefits of this partnership include financial, professional, and academic support:

attend tuition-free with the Arizona Teachers Academy (must complete a current FAFSA) or NAU’s Access2Excellence scholarship (must complete a current FAFSA; students who are not eligible to complete the FAFSA can complete the College Board’s CSS Profile)
invitations for specialized professional development events
local faculty support
advanced consideration for open positions

Application process

If you have interest in participating in the West Valley partnership, please fill out an interest form and NAU Student Services staff will reach out to discuss getting started.

Sign up for an upcoming information session

Teacher in the College of Education building, reading a book to kids.

Learn more about the West Valley Pathways to Teaching

How to apply

If you have 0-12 college credits, please use the NAU Freshman Application:

Apply to NAU here.

Campus: Please note that you will be applying to Flagstaff Mountain Campus. It will be changed by NAU staff when you notify us that you have completed your NAU application (see below).

Program Choice: Select Elementary Education or Special and Elementary Education as your Program of Interest

Attach all transcripts to the application (or arrange to have them sent from each institution).

Use the following code to waive the application fee: #GONAU

If you previously attended college or university and have earned 13+ college credits, please use the NAU Degree Seeking Transfer Student Application:

Apply to NAU here.

Campus: Select Business Partnerships

Program Choice: Under Org Partnership choose Elementary Education or Special and Elementary Education as your Program of Interest

Attach all transcripts to the application (or arrange to have them sent from each institution).

Use the following code to waive the application fee: #GONAU

Important steps after you apply:

Notify us that you have applied by emailing partnerships@nau.edu .

Complete the 2024-25 FAFSA if applying for Spring 25 or 2025-26 FAFSA if applying for Fall 25 (NAU school code: 001082)

Follow the NAU financial aid checklist

1. Complete NAU’s Graduate College application

Select the desired graduate-level teacher certification program offered as part of the NAU West Valley Pathways to Teaching program (for example, M.Ed.-Elementary Education w/certification degree program. Email partnerships@nau.edu to receive a one-time use application fee waiver code.

2. After accepting your offer of admission, complete the supplemental Professional Education Program (PEP) application(IVP fingerprint clearance card required).

3. If desired and appropriate, apply to TIPP.

The Teacher Intern Preparation Program allows NAU students in our Professional Education Program to seek a paid teaching position (the student secures the teaching position). Once admitted to NAU’s Teacher Intern Preparation Program (TIPP) program, the student may apply for the state’s Alternative Teaching Certificate.

Important steps after you apply:

Notify us that you have applied by emailing partnerships@nau.edu .

Complete the 2024-25 FAFSA if applying for Spring 25 or 2025-26 FAFSA if applying for Fall 25 (NAU school code: 001082)

Follow the NAU financial aid checklist

Use the same email throughout the process.

Use the same name throughout the process.

If you are entering a phone number, use the same phone number throughout the process.

Be patient— you will receive a confirmation page at the end of the application and a confirmation email from NAU after the application is uploaded into the system.

Applications are monitored through processing.

Applications cannot be processed without all transcripts.

You will receive next-step information once the application has been processed and an admissions determination has been made.

To ensure timely processing of your application and scholarship, please adhere to the following deadlines:

Spring 2025 Semester: November 15 Fall 2025 Semester: June 15

Eligible degree programs

The following nationally accredited, state-approved, rigorous degree programs are available.

Elementary Education (BSEd)

Special and Elementary Education (BSEd)

Early Childhood Endorsement (UCERT)

The Elementary Education junior level, teacher preparation coursework for the BSEd Elementary Education and BSEd Special and Elementary Education programs are taught primarily in-person at a local convenient location. Prerequisite coursework (freshman and sophomore general studies and additional admission requirements for professional education programs) as well as some junior-and senior-level teacher preparation courses are also delivered online via synchronous Zoom meetings or asynchronous formats. The Special Education coursework for the BSEd Special and Elementary Education program is taught via a synchronous Zoom format, and the coursework for the Early Childhood Endorsement (UCERT) that can be taken in addition to one of the BSEd programs is offered online. If you are not already working for one of the partner school districts, you are encouraged to check out the paraprofessional or other instruction positions that would provide additional hands-on experience while completing your undergraduate degree program (Open positions: apply now! and school district contact information below).

Open positions

West Valley school districts are hiring paraprofessionals for the upcoming school year. Additionally, if you already have a bachelor’s degree and are interested in pursuing one of the graduate degrees leading to teacher certification that are listed above, you might also be able to qualify for an Arizona Department of Education Alternative Teaching Certificate and a teaching position. Open positions with partner districts allow you to start your teaching career while earning your degree. Check out the school districts’ job boards and contact the school districts directly for more information about open positions:

Tolleson Elementary School District

Jodi Gunning, Administrator of Human Resources

Phone: 623-533-3910

Email: jgunning@tesd17.org

Available positions

Littleton Elementary School District

Cassandra Lockard, NAU Anchor Faculty

Phone: 623-478-5681

Email: lockard.cassandra@littletonaz.org

Available positions

Union Elementary School District

Ana M. Avalos, Director of Employee Engagement