TAP’s mission is to recruit, train, place and mentor aspiring teachers across South Florida.
As the largest new provider of trained teachers in South Florida, Achieve Miami’s Teacher Accelerator Program (TAP) now is expanding to Broward College and Barry University just in time for the Spring 2026 semester.
The expansion extends TAP’s mission to recruit, train, place and mentor aspiring teachers across South Florida, marking its next phase of growth as the program continues to build a strong pipeline of new educators at a time of ongoing teacher shortages nationwide.
Originally launched at the University of Miami in 2023, TAP has since expanded to Florida International University and Miami-Dade College. With the addition of Broward College and Barry University, the program now partners with five higher education institutions across South Florida, broadening access to the teaching profession while strengthening the regional educator workforce.
The expansion follows a milestone year for the program. In July 2025, TAP graduated 210 newly trained teachers who were placed in public, private and charter school classrooms throughout South Florida for the 2025-26 school year. Since its launch, the program’s impact has grown nearly fivefold, with over 500 new educators trained to date.
“Too many talented people want to teach but feel overwhelmed by the process and are unsure where to start,” said Leslie Miller Saiontz, founder of Achieve Miami. “By expanding TAP to Broward College and Barry University, we are opening the door wider for future educators while helping schools access passionate, well-prepared teachers when they need them most.”
The new partnerships come at a time when the Florida Education Association reports more than 2,200 open teaching positions statewide. In Miami-Dade County, teacher vacancies have dropped by over 20 percent in the past year, aided in part by TAP’s growing pipeline of qualified educators.
TAP addresses the teacher shortage through an accelerated model in which participants complete a one semester course, followed by a six-week paid summer internship, putting them in place to earn their certification to teach, and receive support with placement in a public, private, or charter school classroom.
At Broward College, individuals with bachelor’s degrees interested in becoming a full-time teacher can start the enrollment process at https://teacheraccelerator.org/interest-form/.
At Barry University, eligible undergraduate students on track to graduate in Spring 2026 can enroll in TAP through a Strategies and Foundations in Education course. Start the TAP enrollment process at https://teacheraccelerator.org/interest-form/.
To learn more about the Teacher Accelerator Program, or to take the first step towards a fulfilling career in education, visit www.teacheraccelerator.org.
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