This policy report developed by Prepared to Teach and New Mexico Alliance for Teacher Residencies outlines how the states can recruit and prepare new educators. It provides potential solutions to statewide concerns about teacher shortages and the quality of educator preparation amid educational inequities impacting Native American, low-income, multilingual, and disabled students. The report highlights how paid pathways, such as Grow-Your-Own programs, teacher residencies, registered apprenticeships, and paid student teaching, can create a pipeline for diverse candidates to enter the profession. Further, the report recommends a collaborative effort between educator preparation programs, school districts, and local/state agencies to improve educator preparation through establishing competency-aligned clinical practice criteria, program alignment with licensure requirements, and opportunities for financial aid.