Dr. Ehren Jarrett: Signing Twenty New Teachers a Year

We don’t have to tell you that education is facing a crisis: America just doesn’t have enough teachers. According to an Education Week analysis, all 50 states experienced statewide teacher shortages in at least one subject area in 2018, and 61% of superintendents indicated that they were having trouble finding great educators. It’s a difficult problem, one that we can’t solve overnight—but the solution might just be the kids sitting in your classrooms.

At Rockford Public Schools in Illinois, Dr. Ehren Jarrett and his team are looking to build the next generation of teachers before they even leave high school. Partnering with their local university, they’ve created an education pathway that begins in middle school and ends with discounted college tuition, a guaranteed student teaching position in the district, and a steady teacher workforce for Rockford.

In this episode, we talk about ways Rockford is increasing and diversifying its teaching force, whether through recruitment or—as Dr. Jarrett would say—”eating their own cooking” by developing new cohorts of students interested in education.

Dr. Ehren Jarrett (@rps205super)

Rockford Public Schools (@RPS205)

You can read our study and advice on attracting millennial teachers to your district at www.schoolceo.com/teachers.

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