The following is a press release from the Public School Forum of North Carolina
The Public School Forum of North Carolina is working to ensure that all North Carolina students have access to a diverse, highly effective educator workforce. As part of this commitment, the Forum, in partnership with the NC Office of the Governor, The Belk Foundation and The Belk Endowment, has launched the North Carolina Educator Pipeline Collaborative with an inaugural cohort of eight teacher preparation partnerships from across the state including school districts, universities, and community colleges working to strengthen the educator pipeline.
“The Public School Forum is thrilled to be working with the eight Collaborative partnerships. Their dedication to growing and diversifying the educator pipeline to ensure that every child has access to a high-quality and well-prepared educator is inspiring. Their engagement and expertise will fuel efforts to strengthen and expand recruitment and retention efforts across North Carolina,” said Dr. Mary Ann Wolf, President and Executive Director of the Public School Forum of NC.
The Collaborative is working together to share, develop, and implement policies and practices that will enhance and extend their efforts to recruit, prepare, support, and retain a diverse, highly effective educator workforce.
“This project is a critical piece of our work and represents on-going efforts to leverage partnerships to benefit our schools system. Clearly, the need is dire for qualified teachers, this plan will help us build the talent pool in our county from within our county,” said Dr. Don Phipps, Superintendent, Caldwell County Schools. “The benefits of the pipeline are win-win-win. The student, prospective teacher, the school system, and the college/university all win. I would argue, hiring from within our county will ultimately lead to increased retention levels and more.”
“ECU and the College of Education are excited to participate in the North Carolina Educator Pipeline Collaborative. We are excited to help develop a framework for effective teacher preparation partnerships that will aid in recruiting and retaining a diverse, high-quality pipeline,” said Dr. Art Rouse, Professor and Interim Dean, College of Education, East Carolina University. “We believe this partnership will help meet the educational needs of communities while promoting best practices and advocating for programs that will have a lasting impact on the teacher pipeline. ECU is committed to this partnership and eager to continue its impact on the teacher pipeline in NC.”
The four main goals of the North Carolina Educator Pipeline Collaborative are to (1) Identify and understand the work of successful partnerships and programs; (2) Develop a framework for effective teacher preparation partnerships across K-12, higher education, and workforce development that work to recruit, prepare, support and retain a diverse, high-quality educator pipeline; (3) Support a cohort of teacher preparation partnerships in their development of programs that meet their context and community needs; and (4) Share findings and recommendations with school districts, higher education, and state leaders to promote best practices and advocate for policies and programs that will have a lasting impact on the teacher pipeline.
“The work of the North Carolina Educator Pipeline Collaborative is essential to increasing the diversity of our educator workforce. As an HBCU, we are invested in equity and improving the human condition and the lives of children and families across the state,” said Paula Price, Dean and Professor, College of Education, North Carolina A&T State University. “Working in close partnership with our community college and district partners to attract, retain, and support diverse and culturally responsive educators is part of our overall mission, so I am excited that engaging in this Collaborative also affords us the opportunity to advocate for policies and practices that are aligned with our vision.”
By creating and strengthening connections between school districts, universities, and community colleges The Collaborative aims to address the gaps in our state’s educator pipeline and forge longterm partnerships focused on meeting the needs of their communities.
“Durham Tech is committed to building pathways to great jobs and careers – like teaching. We are excited to join DPS and NCCU in this collaborative and to build multiple routes to becoming an educator,” said JB Buxton, President, Durham Tech.
“Good things happen when our K-12 schools and institutions of higher learning sit at the same table. Having robust, collaborative relationships are essential to the future of our communities and our state. CCC&TI is extremely excited to partner with Caldwell County Schools and Appalachian State University to find more effective ways to meet the teacher pipeline needs in our region,” said Dr. Mark Poarch, President Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute.
2022-2023 NC Educator Pipeline Collaborative
- Appalachian State University, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, and Caldwell County Schools
- East Carolina University, Pitt Community College, and Pitt County Schools
- Elon University and Alamance Community College
- North Carolina A&T State University, Guilford Technical Community College, and Guilford County Schools
- North Carolina Central University, Durham Technical Community College, and Durham Public Schools
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Kannapolis City Schools
- University of North Carolina at Pembroke and Old Main STREAM Academy
- University of North Carolina Wilmington, Cape Fear Community College, and New Hanover County Schools
