Developed as a collaboration across the Center on Great Teachers & Leaders, CEEDAR Center, and American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, this brief and accompanying webinar argue that teacher candidates should be considered an asset in school buildings, and may help to alleviate potential and ongoing teacher shortages in many content areas. It offers concrete ways teacher candidates can be leveraged to better support veteran teachers during the shift to distance learning, or new education models as schools reopen.

Collaborations between school districts and EPPs on teachers’ initial preparation and ongoing professional development can leverage resources and expertise to achieve outcomes that would not be realized without productive cooperation. Instead of delaying partnerships, districts, in concert with EPPs, have an opportunity to reimagine and innovate how field experiences are best organized and delivered to address student needs and improve teacher preparation during a time of disruption and challenge.