On April 15, more than 100 teachers, students, and education advocates descended on the State Capitol building in Harrisburg, united in our passion for the future of education in Pennsylvania. Collectively, we dream of — and work towards — a day when the diversity of the teacher workforce matches that of our commonwealth.

‍

We were proud to stand with partners from Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators (PAC-TE) and Pennsylvania Council of Administrators of Special Education (PaCASE) to call on lawmakers to fully fund the Student Teacher Support Program — an annual investment that supports aspiring educators and helps address Pennsylvania's growing educator workforce crisis.

‍

Ten years ago, Pennsylvania was preparing 19,000 new teachers to enter the workforce per year. Today, that number has plummeted to less than 7,000. And the situation is increasingly dire for educators of color, who make up only 6.2% of the workforce across the state, even though 36.6% of students are people of color. 

‍

‍“Every child in Pennsylvania should have the opportunity to learn from high-quality teachers who look like them and understand their unique background and challenges. But the sad reality is that our schools are facing a severe educator workforce crisis in Pennsylvania – and the schools that need the most support are the ones with the greatest teacher shortages. 

‍

‍“It’s time to reverse this trend and invest in programs – like the Student Teacher Stipend Program – that will help to support emerging educators and make their teacher pathway easier to achieve.” – Dr. Donna-Marie Cole, PEDC Co-Executive Director

‍

The Student Teacher Support Program was established by the General Assembly and Governor Shapiro in 2023. Since the beginning, the demand has been significant. When the first $30 million was distributed during the 2024-25 school year, it was only able to provide stipends to about half of the more than 4,000 students who applied.

‍

‍"Student teaching is not optional. It is essential preparation for the profession. If Pennsylvania is serious about attracting and retaining strong educators, we must make sure aspiring teachers are not priced out of the path to certification." – Dr. Tom Conway, President, PAC-TE

‍

That's why we called on lawmakers to allocate $55 million to fully fund this program. We are also asking for investment in Talent Recruitment Accounts to support district and educator preparation initiatives, including dual enrollment, apprenticeship, residency, and Grow Your Own programs that rebuild the teacher pipeline from the ground up.

These are commonsense steps that can even the playing field and ensure no qualified aspiring educator is forced to abandon their chosen career path before they ever make it to the classroom.

‍

Watch news coverage from the day here.

‍

‍What’s Next

Want to add your voice to the conversation? Consider: 

• Posting about your support of growing and diversifying the teacher pipeline: Check out our simple social media guide here with sample language and hashtags you can use in your engagement.
  
  • Consider the following questions to help personalize your post:
    
    • Why does growing and diversifying the teacher pipeline matter to you?
    • Have you received a student teacher stipend, or are you hoping to receive one in the future? If so, what does that resource mean to you?
    • Have you not received a student teacher stipend? What impact does that have on your day-to-day life while you are student teaching?
    • Think about a teacher who made a difference in your life. How would you be different if you had never gotten to learn from them?
• Keeping the conversation going with policymakers: They want to hear from you: their constituents. You can find your state legislators' information here. 

Together, we have the power to transform PA’s educational future.

‍