Strengthening the Educator Pipeline: A Deep Dive with The Pathways Alliance

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Hi, this is Aurora from the Educating All Learners Alliance,
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and today we're speaking to Sabrina Baptiste for a deep dive into teacher preparation programs.
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Sabrina is the Project Director of the Pathways Alliance, an uncommon coalition
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of leading education organizations dedicated to supporting and implementing quality,
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sustainable educator preparation pipelines, including teacher residency programs and apprenticeships.
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It's great to have you here today, Sabrina. Thank you so much for joining us.
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Thank you so much for having me.
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So let's dive right in. You know, I gave the little intro about Pathways,
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but tell us more about your background in education and how that led you to your work at Pathways.
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Yeah, thank you. I come to this work from both education and public health,
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so I've always been really drawn to systems and how they're designed and who
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they work for and where they fall short.
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I started in youth development and working closely with young people and families
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and over time really moved into the strategy and operation roles where I could
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help build stronger systems behind the scenes.
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I realized that I also was like working very closely with kids and I was like,
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I don't know that being in the classroom is for me.
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But I deeply, deeply care about what the classrooms look like for students and
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what's being offered to them and who's in front of them and also how that entire system works.
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So now, as I lead the project work at Pathways Alliance with the project director,
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which is, as you mentioned, a national coalition of states, districts,
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higher ed institutions,
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and educator prep programs that really focus on strengthening the educator workforce pipeline.
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And what I really value about Pathways is that we're not looking at the single entry plate problem.
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We're really thinking about what much more broadly and about the full educator
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pipeline and how somebody moves through it over the time.
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So that really includes tutors, paraprofessionals, classroom teachers, and school leaders.
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And a lot of our work is really centered on registered apprenticeship as a tool
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to make sure that these Pathways are more accessible, more affordable,
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and more grounded in real practice. So for example...
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We developed the National Guidelines Standards, not only for teacher and principal
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apprenticeships, but also for tutor apprenticeships as well.
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And that really matters because we're really trying to help the field think
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bigger about workforce design and how someone might first enter through a tutor apprenticeship,
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build the skills and experience there, later move into a teacher apprenticeship
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and potentially even into leadership.
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So when we talk about pathways, we actually really mean it. We're really trying
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to build a system where apprenticeship is not a one-time opportunity,
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but it's a part of a larger continuum of professional growth and education.
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I love that. And there's a lot of a lot of similarity between,
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I mean, both of us and our own professional kind of trajectory.
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I started in a classroom as well.
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We both spent some time working together very closely, you know,
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in schools and in youth programs as well.
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So the overlap between us as leaders also relates to our programs.
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So, you know, relating to the ELA audience, well, from a Pathways perspective,
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from the Pathways Alliance perspective, how are educator shortages and turnover
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impacting schools? We know that that's a big issue right now.
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Yeah. How is it impacting schools and especially thinking about special education?
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You know, how does that apply? I think what we're seeing across the field is
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that shortages and turnover, especially in special education,
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are not really like an isolated staffing problem.
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Through conversations, through our partners, and what we're seeing in the field
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is that there's various gaps, and sometimes it's like a broader workforce system
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issue, and it's not functioning the way that it needs to, per se.
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In special education, we've seen that the impact is especially serious because
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those roles require consistency.
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They require specialized knowledge and strong relationships that you're building
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with students and families.
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And when schools are really dealing with vacancies and constant turnover or
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educators like entering without enough support or without enough like background
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on what they're supposed to be doing,
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we see that students are really losing the access to stability that experts
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and so much data says that they need. And schools really then.
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End up relying on like short-term fixes that don't really support or move their
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students forward, but it creates even more of a strain on the educators who are already there.
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So from our perspective, we've seen that this also affects the pipeline as well
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as it shapes how people see the profession.
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And if candidates are entering schools and seeing burnout, limited support,
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and unclear advancement, it really becomes hard to recruit and to retain them for long-term.
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So we are always thinking about not just how to feel like that one role at a
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time at one particular moment, but really how to build these connected pipelines
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into the profession so that it's consistent and it's sustainable.
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So for us, for example, many schools have tutors, many schools have paraprofessionals
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who are deeply committed to the students that they serve, especially our special
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education students and understand the school community as well.
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So why not use those folks? Why not help them build systems that can really
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support teaching and the students over time?
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And we're really working to kind of build a bridge across those roles so that
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way we can create stronger pipelines into the high need areas,
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especially special education, to better support teachers,
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students, and also helping support those folks that want to be in the field,
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supporting them to stay in the field. I love that sentiment.
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I mean, and we talk about at ELO, a lot of our ELO partners are very involved
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in building relationships, the importance of that piece, whether it's building
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relationships with your students, with your families.
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And what you said is when there's vacancy and turnover, that goes away.
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You can't even start there. And that's such a huge part of the Success for Law
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Special Education program and students with disabilities.
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I've always been told that students can
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see when their teachers or the adults
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that are supposed to be in this space with them are unprepared because then
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your students are unprepared and I think that's so real and it's something that
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we see often and it's like man how do we close that gap and how do we make sure
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that the folks who are in front of these students are best preparing themselves
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and how are we helping them to support
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to be prepared so that way they can support the students in return.
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Yeah. I mean, so you're, we're so aligned in terms of what we're seeing as far
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as we're both uncommon alliances.
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Yes. You get a very, you get an interesting perspective though.
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You deal, you talk a lot about what's going on at the district level,
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state level, we're talking about guidance.
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So, so what are you seeing across states and districts that's working well,
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right? We identified a lot of the challenges.
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What are some bright spots or what's working well to build these strong,
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sustainable pipelines.
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Absolutely. One thing that we're seeing that's working well is when 16 districts
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really stop treating educator preparation as some disconnected.
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Piece that's not a part of the workforce strategy and really start thinking
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about it as like this continuous ongoing thing.
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And we're seeing that happen in real time, like Department of Labor and Department
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of Education are really working together to kind of roll out all these amazing
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initiatives to kind of bridge together the workforce strategy.
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And I think registered apprenticeships really have been more powerful as an example.
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And in many places, it's creating more structure, affordable,
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and then also that earn while you learn pathway into education.
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Candidates are really not being asked to step away from work,
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but also, you know, stepping away from work and then also taking on debt.
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That's not really guaranteed anything on the other side.
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So what we earn and in return,
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while they're earning, while they learn and they're getting this,
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they're getting the mentorship, they're getting the support,
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they're actually earning wages while they are trying to get into this profession,
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they're getting real classroom experience.
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Like I said, they're getting the mentorship and they're getting the compensation
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while they prepare to become certified teachers.
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So while also like we're realizing that's super encouraging and that's what
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we want more partners to start thinking is like starting there and start thinking
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about beyond the traditional pipeline alone.
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And through our work, what we've been seeing is like we've been really pushing
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the field to think about tutor, teacher, and principal pathways as this connected.
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Entity rather than separate. And that's really why our like tutor apprenticeship work is so important.
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Tutors are often overlooked as part of the education workforce.
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They can really be powerful as an entry point into the profession and they're
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developing instructional skills, they're building relationships with students,
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and they're also gaining exposure from the day-to-day work of schools.
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So when that role is intentionally designed as a part of the larger pathway,
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it can open the door to what I like to say like future advancements in the education space.
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So as we think about how like we are advancing our national guideline standards
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across multiple roles that really help create like clear,
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more consistent expectations around high quality apprenticeship programs and
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models, we're also ensuring that we're reinforcing this idea that someone can
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grow through multiple apprenticeship experiences over the course of their career.
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So we hope and we're like keeping our fingers crossed that a tutor apprentice
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may become a teacher apprentice.
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Then that teacher apprentice may become a principal.
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Yes. So like it's really this like bigger picture design. And we're really hoping
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to see real promise over the next three years as we like see this really play out.
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And we saw this play out with teacher apprenticeships. Like we went from two
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at the very beginning to now almost at all 50 states. and there's thousands
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of thousands of programs.
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So we're really seeing a real promise in this design and we are like seeing
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strong results when it states and districts and also like EPP programs are aligned from start to finish.
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And when those programs are working together on the certification,
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on the funding, on the program design and the candidate support,
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the PATHers are like much more likely to last. Yeah.
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Something you said about earn while you learn, you know, it's so important to
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have that awareness that,
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Like most workforce programs, the people who can afford to put in a full time
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commitment to apprenticeship without pay are usually people who are in a position of privilege.
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They don't need to work. Right. I mean, they can afford to.
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And in full transparency, I was lucky enough to be in that position where I
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was able to just go to school and do my teacher training and then become a teacher.
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And that really sort of so what you're
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what you're working towards is also expanding the pool to people
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who might not have traditionally have had access yes absolutely and
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because i think those are the folks that we are missing um as in in that space
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it's like hey i want to become a teacher i want to be in the education space
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but i can't i can't afford it or i have this other barrier um and i think we've
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come together as a coalition and as an alliance to say okay like How do we get rid of those barriers?
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Because like I said, there are people that are very passionate about students
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and wanting to become a teacher.
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But like, who has thousands of thousands of dollars to spend? Especially now, right?
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Yeah. And then also, there are folks who get into the education space that don't
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want to be teachers. And like, we want to say, hey.
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Test it out like it's i mean yeah yeah because like
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doctors have residencies and there's like
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so if they get to do their residency and
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say hey like i really don't want to become a doctor maybe this is
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my spot maybe i need to switch specialties or whatever yeah
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this is not my jazz like i'm only speaking from my knowledge of like great anatomy
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we should also give educators the opportunity to do the same and that's why
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like teacher residencies teaching apprenticeships and also like fellowships
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are so important because you're getting that experience,
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that supported experience to what being in education and of an outlet could be like.
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And at the end of the day, you get that final decision before you commit to
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say like, this is not for me.
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And I was fortunate that I got to do that. And I was like, I love kids,
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but I want to support them from behind the scenes.
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I want to advocate for them. I want to rally for them.
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But like, I don't know that I could be in front of a classroom and that doesn't
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take away from the work And like now that I get to do that,
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a part of Pacquist, like it really drives me and I really am empowered to support
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teachers and the students.
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Is there a key takeaway to wrap us up today?
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Like what would you say? What would you say is the biggest gap or an opportunity
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for change that you see in how we prepare and support educators?
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Yeah, I would say that having a stronger, of course, system and making sure
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that we're continuing to stay connected as part of the broader talent strategy,
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I think that's been a missed opportunity.
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And I think as we build a stronger system and we recognize that people could
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enter the profession in different ways and build structures that really help them to keep growing.
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And not everyone, as I mentioned before, starts off as a teacher candidate in
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a traditional preparation program and really realizing that.
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And, you know, some may start off as paraprofessionals and some may already
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be working in schools. We really need pathways that honor that,
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that honor that reality and really say, like, There's also still a major gap
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between preparation and practice.
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And too often people are, you know, prepared in ways that do not fully match
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the realities of the classroom, especially when it comes to supporting students
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with different learning needs.
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That's why job embedded experience based models matter so much.
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And another opportunity is still the ongoing support. Preparation should not end at hiring.
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We need stronger mentoring, coaching, career advancement structures that continue
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after someone enters the profession.
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And then I'd say, and finally, there is a huge opportunity to better connect,
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of course, policy funding and data so we can actually support these pathways over time.
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At Pathways Alliance, we spend a lot of time thinking about how systems really
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can be aligned so that pathways are not just these innovative pilots,
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but sustainable parts of the educator workforce.
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And for me, that's the bigger shift is like really moving things from isolation
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into like a real pipeline and strategy.
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I love that. But it's not just an innovative pilot. It's got to be sustainable. Yes.
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So how can folks stay informed, get involved, stay up to date with your work
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and the work at Pathways?
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Yeah, I would say the best place to start is at the Pathways Alliance website.
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We regularly share resources, tools, webinars, and examples across the country
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and how we're highlighting our states, districts, and partners and what they're building.
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And we, of course, always welcome continuous engagement from a wide range of
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partners because this work really depends on the cross-sector collaboration.
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And that includes, as I mentioned, all of the folks, state agencies,
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districts, higher ed, and EPPs, and the folks along the way in the education space.
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But I would most importantly say the important thing for us is to continue to
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engage this big picture mindset.
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We're really not trying to solve like one shortage area at a time.
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We're trying to build stronger educator workforce continuum and really make
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sure that all of these pathways are connected, they're sustainable,
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and really see how apprenticeships and teacher residencies continue to take off.
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So whether someone wants to join the coalition, attend a webinar,
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or just contribute to one of our working groups, which we have so many of,
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or simply learn what others are building.
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But there is a place to plug in at the Pathways Alliance.
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I mean, we hope that even more we can continue to see that alignment and that
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way folks can continue to provide to this broader vision and really we can have
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a stronger workforce and field at the end of the day.
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That's great. It's been great talking to you today, Sabrina.
00:16:47.022 --> 00:16:50.442
Thank you so much. Yes, thank you for having me. That's it for us today, folks.
00:16:50.682 --> 00:16:56.282
Thank you to Sabrina Baptiste. And to learn more, visit their website at thepathwaysalliance.org.
00:16:56.502 --> 00:16:59.842
I'm Aurora from ELA, and this was a deep dive with the Pathways Alliance.