“When districts reach out for hiring, they want to find candidates who were in Educators Rising, because they know that these students are that much more established than the standard new educator.”

— Lindsey Jensen, 2018 Illinois Teacher of the Year

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In many districts today, hiring a qualified teacher feels like searching for a unicorn. In Wisconsin, California, Massachusetts — and countless places in between — leadership is wrestling with fewer candidates, rising costs, and increasing turnover. But there is a solution many districts still under-consider: grow your own — starting early, building from within, and using CTE and education pathways to seed future teachers.

The Shortage Isn’t Coming — It’s Already Here

Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction designates specific subject- and geographic-based shortage areas each year, acknowledging that demand outpaces supply. The state also anticipates thousands of openings yearly as veteran educators retire or leave. Districts report that even when positions are posted, the applicant pool is thin, especially for special education, STEM, or bilingual roles.

California

In California, shortages are longstanding in math, science, special education, and bilingual education. One troubling signal is an increase in emergency or provisional permits, suggesting that many credentialed candidates are simply not available or not choosing to serve high-need communities. State-level efforts such as cross-agency workforce collaboratives show growing awareness, but they need ground-level partners — districts and schools — to translate policy into pipeline.

Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Teachers Association notes thousands of statewide openings, not just in classrooms but in paraprofessional roles as well. At the same time, there is a bottleneck in career and technical education (CTE) programming: too many interested students, too few program seats. To meet broader goals around workforce and equity, the state is investing capital grants to expand CTE access, signaling that the policy direction is favorable.

These states are not outliers — they are emblematic. Districts everywhere are laboring under the same pressures: too few applicants, too much competition, and retention that often fails.

Why Grow-Your-Own Is a Strategic Advantage

Grow-your-own is not magic, and it is not an overnight fix. But it is a strategic lever districts can pull.

1. Local alignment and mission coherence

A teacher grown in your district is already steeped in your curriculum, community, values, and student needs. There is less onboarding about your local norms and more time on instruction.

2. Stronger commitment and lower attrition

Candidates who have been mentored, scaffolded, and “grown” tend to stay longer. They have invested time and identity in the path and can see their own roots in the district.

3. Cost efficiency over time

While the upfront investment (mentors, stipends, programming) matters, over time you reduce recruiting, signing bonuses, and the churn costs of rehiring constantly. The harvest pays dividends.

4. Better equity, representation, and community connection

By recruiting from your own student populations — especially historically underrepresented groups — districts can build a teacher corps that mirrors the communities they serve. That boosts student trust, engagement, and cultural competence.

5. Pipeline resilience

Instead of being at the mercy of external applicant markets, you create internal depth. When a teacher retires or leaves, you may already have candidates nearly ready to step in.

6. Quality control and instructional coherence

Because districts can mentor, supervise, and align training more tightly, the pathway can proactively enforce quality standards before full placement.

The Role of CTE and the National Career Clusters Framework

The institutional scaffolding already exists, and your solution connects powerfully here.

The National Career Clusters® Framework includes Education and Training as one of its 16 clusters. Within this cluster are pathways for exploring roles such as teachers, instructional support, and education administration (see careertech.org).

Many CTE programs already offer “Education/Teaching as a Career” sequences. The key is ensuring those sequences are robust, linked to real teaching practice, mentored, and aligned with postsecondary and licensure pathways.

The federal High School CTE Education Teacher Pathway Initiative has supported states and districts to build feeder pathways — combining coursework, work-based learning, dual enrollment, and field experiences. Early evidence indicates these initiatives boost candidate supply.

Often, the weak link is the bridge from CTE exploration to teacher licensure. Coordinating with universities, licensing boards, and districts ensures that students do not fall off the cliff between aspiration and credential.

Educators Rising’s Model Packs Leverage

In the whitepaper The Efficacy of Educators Rising as a Grow Your Own Solution, data shows:

• 98% of students in state-level surveys believe the programming helped them better understand the teaching profession.

• 93% say they learned instructional strategies through Educators Rising.

• Educators Rising students who took PRAXIS exams scored about 14 points higher on average than non-participants.

• 82% of teachers administering the program believed it prepared students to enter the profession, and 64% believed students acquired strong teaching skills.

• Over the past decade, the number of bachelor’s degrees or certificates awarded to students who participated in education CTE programs has increased by 77%.

This data gives legitimacy. When presenting the model to districts or state leaders, it is not about “this might work,” but rather “here is early evidence, here is a blueprint, and here is how to implement it locally.”

The value proposition is clear: the model bridges the gap — it supports transition from student interest to credential-readiness, mentorship to practice, and ensures districts see a return on investment in each cohort.

Starter Plan for Districts to Begin This Year

Five actions districts can take this school year:

1. Identify feeder high schools and partner teachers

Select two to three high schools already running CTE or education electives, and connect them with district and higher education to create pilot courses.

2. Launch Educators Rising chapters and curriculum support

Implement the framework, teacher training, student groups, and mentoring. Start small — perhaps with one subject, such as secondary math or special education.

3. Establish mentorship and coaching structures

Pair high school students with mentor teachers or near-peer tutors. Start field observations, reflective sessions, and microteaching.

4. Build credentialing bridges with higher education and state agencies

Negotiate dual enrollment, articulation, aligned coursework, guaranteed admission pathways, and waiver options.

5. Set data and accountability metrics early

Track cohort yield (how many enroll in teacher preparation), retention, credential passage (e.g., Praxis), and cost per candidate. Use early data to improve each cycle.

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Call to Action

Districts facing teacher shortages can leverage grow-your-own strategies through CTE pathways to build a sustainable, effective, and equitable teacher pipeline. Engaging with models like Educators Rising and implementing structured mentorship and credentialing bridges will ensure a return on investment — and stronger communities served by well-prepared educators. Get in touch to learn how to start a chapter in your community!