Description: There has been a steady and significant decline of enrollment in teacher preparation programs over the past decade, with the most pronounced consequences for schools located in urban and rural Title I districts. These schools have had to resort to employing uncertified teachers at four times the rate of suburban schools and also employ teachers with fewer experiences that are predictive of their retention. This panel will discuss four prominent problems contributing to the high rates of turnover and declining enrollments in teacher workforce development: 1. recruitment, 2. development of teacher training programs, 3. matriculation, and 4. retention. A particular focus will be on how these barriers disproportionately affect under-served communities, including Black, Indigenous, Latine, rural, and urban communities. Speakers will also discuss evidence as it relates to “Grow Your Own” programs in each of these communities. Research-based recommendations to address the teacher workforce dilemma will be discussed.
Supporting Education Professionals
Education professionals in K-12 and higher education settings are at risk of leaving the profession, in part because of the stress and dissatisfaction from not being allowed to use their professional judgment to make sound educational decisions