Hand to Hand, Place to Place: Transforming Teacher Preparation

In the final episode of “Hand in Hand, Place to Place,” we look ahead to what an unpredictable future of teaching demands of teacher preparation. Exploring the rise of AI and different schooling models, this conversation surfaces what must adapt, and what must remain foundational, to best prepare teachers and students for what’s ahead.DFI Executive Director and host Valerie Sakimura is joined by guests Lennon Audrain (Next Education Workforce Initiative, Arizona State University), Jim Meadows (Washington Education Association), and Sarah Johnson (Relay Graduate School of Education) to lift up what truly matters for the future of teaching and learning to ensure all students, and teachers, are set up for success.

There have been exciting developments to make teaching pathways more accessible and practice-based, with the growth of promising models like residencies and apprenticeship programs. But just as important as how new teachers are entering the profession is what they are practicing, and what instruction looks like inside these different pathways. Host and DFI Executive Director Valerie Sakimura is joined by Courtney Bell (Vice President of Research and Innovation, Tennessee SCORE), Julie Cohen (Associate Professor, University of Virginia) and Leah Brown (Assistant Professor of Secondary Education, University of Alaska Fairbanks) to discuss the breadth and impact of instructional shifts in teacher preparation and explore how new technologies are shaping the future of teaching.

Too often, teacher preparation and PK-12 policy are treated as separate: funded, legislated, and advocated for in isolation from one another. The result is a persistent disconnect that affects teacher retention, workforce quality, and ultimately, student learning – especially for those furthest from opportunity. DFI Executive Director Valerie Sakimura sits down with Jennifer Alexander (Executive Director, PIE Network), David Rosenberg (Leader-In-Residence, TeachPlus), and Ryan Franklin (Managing Director of Policy and Advocacy, Philanthropy Advocates) to explore how greater policy alignment can strengthen teacher pipelines and expand student access to more effective instruction.

In this episode, host and DFI Executive Director Valerie Sakimura is joined by Sara DeLano, Ellen McIntyre, and Carolyn Theard-Griggs, who lead teacher-preparation programs in very different geographical and institutional contexts. They examine how the role of leaders has evolved over the last decade, and the mindsets and actions necessary of EPP leaders to champion accessible, high-quality pathways in teaching looking ahead.

DFI Executive Director and co-founder Valerie Sakimura sits down with founder Benjamin Riley and co-founder Pete Fishman to revisit the bold vision that launched Deans for Impact a decade ago. Together, they reflect on the early days of disrupting the status quo in teacher preparation. Gathering inspiration and input from leaders in the field, they explore how DFI’s founding was rooted in a “third way” approach that continues to be more relevant than ever: one that fused the poetry of storytelling and transformational leadership with the plumbing of systems, structures, and scientifically-informed change.