The Challenge

Many teachers report that their teacher preparation experiences didn’t prepare them for the job. What’s more, pathways into teaching aren’t bringing in or retaining enough teachers who share backgrounds with the increasingly diverse students they serve.

The Opportunity

Imagine if teacher preparation truly prepared candidates to innovate, collaboratively lead, and drive student-centered change in their schools. And imagine multiple, flexible—but still rigorous—pathways into teaching that were accessible to candidates of more diverse identities and professional backgrounds.

Our Work

We’re working to advance teacher preparation policies, programs, and pathways that recruit, prepare, and retain innovative and talented educators who reflect the communities they serve.

Policy Priority

We're clearing pathways to licensure for talented, diverse teachers—in particular, for teachers of heritage language.

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Completed Policy Priority

We advocated to change state rules governing the knowledge and skills covered in teacher preparation programs.

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Featured Resources

Blog post • May 2023

Education bill scores policy wins for heritage language teachers, ethnic studies

The bill also scores policy wins for heritage language teachers, ethnic studies.

Blog post • April 2023

MN teacher standards get a 21st century update

EE helped reshape the standards for teachers to equitably serve all students.

Blog post • February 2023

MN set to clear roadblocks to heritage language teacher licenses

Legislators look to add new options for teachers to demonstrate competency in their home language.

Report • June 2020 • By Danyika Leonard, Alex Vitrella, with KaYing Yang

Power, Politics, and Preservation of Heritage Languages

In this paper, we explore why heritage language matters, the state and federal policies that support heritage language instruction, the learning programs leading this work, and the challenges heritage languages programs face.

Blog Series • February 2020

Retaining Teachers: Fostering Conditions Where Talent Thrives

Teacher turnover isn’t good—for student, for schools, or for teachers themselves. We dove deep on this issue in a year-long blog series, exploring data, stories of those impacted, and creative solutions.

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