Welcome to the ACE Leadership Spotlight, where we recap podcast appearances by our top leaders and share their latest insights.
Debt-Free Degrees? How ACE Is Rewriting Higher Ed
American College of Education (ACE) President and CEO Geordie Hyland joined Adam Giery, managing partner of Strategos Group, for a special podcast episode hosted at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit. The podcast, “Capital Class,” features candid conversations with innovative executive leaders of industry-leading businesses and organizations.
Why Is There a Teacher Shortage?
When people ask, “Is there a teacher shortage?” they’re really asking about the broader challenges teachers face that result in leaving the profession. Hyland and Giery walked through sources of the American teacher shortage and how ACE supports aspiring teacher development and current teacher career progression, resulting in increased retention and satisfaction.
The two acknowledged how many teachers love the profession but find themselves unprepared for the challenges found in the modern classroom. Hyland shared how ACE facilitates courses through career progression teaching and a practitioner model, with faculty who are actively working in the field and offering practical knowledge and technology. Many of the college’s students are current teachers, and they’re able to learn and apply strategies at the same time.
Additionally, many teachers are unable to afford career advancement.
“I think there’s a challenge in the system where there’s been huge tuition inflation in higher education that’s been lowering credibility,” Hyland remarked. “There’s a real opportunity for a more common-sense approach to offer more affordable degrees, focus on more practical applications and really prepare a student to be a teacher with a job-aligned curriculum, so they can hit the ground running. That’s what we’re focused on at American College of Education.”
ACE: An Industry Leader and Affordable Choice
Hyland shared how when teachers find out about ACE, they often wish they’d known so they wouldn’t be faced with unpayable student loans from other institutions. For ACE, 86% of its students graduate without debt.1
“I came across ACE a couple of years ago and joined as the CEO,” Hyland added. “It has a unique opportunity to really have a positive impact in higher education, given that it’s designed for high-quality, debt-free education that provides students a return on investment (ROI).”
Research shows that for every dollar ACE students invest in their education, they receive $19.20 in higher future earnings. The quality of education, as well as alignment with employers and teacher career progression, are key for students when choosing an institution.
“I’ve called it [ACE] an emerging gem,” Giery chuckled. “In some ways, we talk a lot about the journey here, from idea to enterprise, and for this story, this business is both new and old. It’s been founded for years, has served a mission for years, but is now really taking hold in the market where it’s being recognized as an industry leader.”
ACE has, from its start, prioritized quality learning for less. The college’s growth is well-represented by the fact that many students come from referrals, showing the impact of our programs on our alumni.
Closing the conversation, Hyland and Giery discussed metrics that showcase institutional performance as well as how an engaged, healthy workplace is paramount to any institution’s success. Without a doubt, the impact of ACE transcends from committed employees to dedicated students and their communities.
Listen to the full interview.
American College of Education offers fully online, affordable education programs suitable for supporting various educational career goals.
1Internal research completed in March 2025
