Dr. Jennifer Robinson Recently Spoke at Congressional Briefing

Dr. Jennifer Robinson, Professor of Teaching and Learning and Executive Director of the Center of Pedagogy recently participated in a Congressional Briefing as a panelist invited to speak about teacher preparation and diversifying the teaching workforce.

Research shows that the most important in-school factor to student learning is access to well-prepared, effective, and diverse teachers and leaders. Long-standing inequities in student access to well-prepared and diverse educators are being further exacerbated by COVID-19.

Prior to the pandemic, 100,000 classrooms in the United States were staffed by instructors who were unqualified for their jobs. Between 2010 and 2017, enrollment in educator preparation programs at institutions of higher education declined by 39%, resulting in more than 277,000 fewer professionals working their way toward the classroom. Likewise, nearly every state was experiencing a shortage of teachers in high-need subjects like math, science, and special education. Students of color, low-income students, and other historically underserved students inequitably bear the brunt of these shortages.

The COVID-19 pandemic and consequences of the Great Recession have exacerbated these long-existing shortages. Additionally, we know from the Great Recession that student access to excellent educators is further threatened in times of economic downturn by both educator layoffs and shortages. The pandemic presents steep challenges as shortages are being driven not only by funding cuts and the increased economic insecurity of prospective educators but also health factors. This shortage is made even more dire by the fact that we need more educators to help address lost instructional time and the social and emotional needs of students resulting from this crisis.

Fortunately, teachers, leaders, students, advocates, and proposed federal policies present a roadmap to rebuild and strengthen the educator pipeline so that every student has access to well-prepared, diverse, and effective educators.

During this briefing, speakers discussed the current state of the educator workforce and pipeline, the research that shows that comprehensive preparation and support produce effective educators and a stable workforce, and the policy solutions that can help rebuild and strengthen the educator pipeline during and beyond COVID-19.

Speakers:

• Chris LeGrande, Principal of Guthrie High School and 2020 Oklahoma Principal of the Year
• Jennifer Robinson, Executive Director, Montclair State University Center for Pedagogy
• Tara Kini, Chief of Staff and Director of State Policy, the Learning Policy Institute
• Valerie C. Williams, Director of Government Relations, the National Association of State Directors of Special Education
• Jennifer Smith, NBCT, Monticello Middle School, Monticello CUSD #25 (IL)