Center on Great Teachers and Leaders

Building bridges from today's educator workforce challenges to a future where every student can thrive while learning from a talented and diverse educator workforce.

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Teacher with young students

Topics

Elevating the Educator Workforce Through Evidence-Based Approaches

We bring decades of experience in selecting, designing, and scaling-up evidence-based policies and programs to help clients meet current and future educator workforce needs. Across all of our work, we focus on solutions that are systematic, tailored to work in any setting, and aimed at addressing shortages while also expanding equity. 

Explore each section below to learn more about our approaches, highlights from our clients, and our tested tools and resources.

Lisa Lachlan
Managing TA Consultant
Cheryl Krohn
Senior TA Consultant

Our Areas of Focus

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Teacher standing at front of classroom with students hands raised

Prioritize Systemic Talent Development

Policymakers often have adopted a piecemeal approach to dealing with system-level issues, particularly in times of crisis. It's time for states to leave unfocused policymaking and disconnected educator talent initiatives in the past. 

Use our Talent Development Framework to systematically elevate and diversify the educator workforce, address shortages, and expand equity.

Learn more about prioritizing talent development

Design Programs to Succeed Anywhere

Underserved schools are often overlooked for district or state-wide initiatives because they may be perceived as lacking "readiness" for rigorous implementation. Are your state's educator workforce programs ready for success? 

Use our READI Framework to assess how well your educator workforce initiatives are designed to target the specific needs of underserved schools.

Learn more about designing successful programs

Address Shortages & Expand Equity

Today, students of color, students with disabilities, and low-income students are less likely to have access to an experienced, effective, and diverse educator workforce. Widespread educator shortages in the wake of COVID-19 have widened these gaps in underserved schools and districts.

Prioritizing an Integrated Approach to Educator Shortages and Workforce Diversity will guide you toward innovative strategies and examples of integrated educator shortage and diversity efforts.

Learn more about expanding equity

Our Strategies

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Groups of teachers talking in a library

Build Belonging

Diversity in the Educator Workforce 

All students benefit from access to a diverse pool of talented educators. Our team is at the forefront of designing integrated, aligned approaches for addressing educator workforce diversity and educator shortages simultaneously. 

Visualize diversity gaps across the educator career continuum with our free, user-friendly, Excel-based data tool, Insights on Diversifying the Educator Workforce, which includes a GIS mapping option.

Learn more about building belonging

Expand Pathways into the Profession

Accessible and Affordable Pathways 

Removing barriers to entry and creating affordable, accessible, and high-quality pathways into the profession are top priorities for states and districts, and our experts can help.

Our information brief, Creating Pathways into the Profession While Building Diversity with Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Programs, shares considerations for data analysis, partnerships, funding, program elements, and continuous improvement.

Learn more about expanding pathways

Elevate the Profession

Compensation, Advancement, and Working Conditions 

Educators' decisions to stay or exit the profession hinge on many factors. Use our evidence-based resources to shape educator recruitment and retention while also prioritizing and investing in educators' well-being.

Raising the Bar on Teacher Pay was created to help education leaders make data-driven decisions on teacher salaries by comparing across key variables and contexts.

Learn more about elevating the profession

Rethink Professional Learning

Mentoring, Induction, and Beyond 

Educators need professional growth supports that meet them exactly where they are in their career, whether they are new to the field or seasoned veterans. Explore our resources and find actionable insights and practical tools to rethink your educator professional learning system.

Our Mentoring & Induction Toolkit can help you build stronger mentoring and induction programs through close state and district partnerships.

Learn more about professional learning