Future Ready Teachers Priorities
Priority 1: Remove Financial Barriers
“I have dreamed of becoming a teacher since I was in second grade, but because of the financial burdens that come with the process, I have had to make the tough decision of going non-licensure for now.”
- Zina Abdon, CEHD student
For many students, the desire to teach is there—but the financial burden is too high.
The Challenge
For many aspiring teachers, the cost of preparation outweighs what they can realistically earn, forcing talented individuals to reconsider a profession they feel called to serve.
The Solution
With your support, Future Ready Teachers will:
- Provide full ride scholarships and cost of living scholarships to students who want to become teachers
- Fund emergency aid and wraparound student support
Priority 2: Prepare and Support Teachers Beyond Graduation
The average national 5-year retention rate for teachers is 56%, but for teachers from alternative pathways it’s 25%. For CEHD grads teaching in Northern Virginia schools, it’s 79%.
- Ingersoll et.al., Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy
Today’s classrooms are increasingly shaped by technology-enabled, data-rich learning environments. Yet many new teachers enter the profession without preparation and sustained support aligned with these evolving expectations. The first years in the classroom are both the most demanding and the most consequential, and when preparation and early-career systems fall short, burnout and turnover follow.
The Challenge
Teacher preparation and induction models have not consistently kept pace with the changing demands of modern classrooms, leaving many educators underprepared for the complexity of today’s learning ecosystems and without the structured support needed to thrive long term.
The Solution
With your support, Future Ready Teachers will design and sustain a forward-looking professional learning model that:
- Equips teachers with the adaptive capabilities required in technology-enabled, data-rich classrooms
- Integrates a university–school mentorship model that bridges preparation and practice
- Provides a structured three-year induction program aligned with modern instructional expectations
- Builds cohort-based professional learning communities that support collaboration, reflection, and shared problem-solving
- Establishes clear professional growth pathways that strengthen retention and long-term success
Priority 3: Reclaim the Narrative
Teaching gets a bad rap. In the last decade, enrollment in teacher preparation programs has declined by nearly 30% nationwide. And yet, we know that teaching is a profession of expertise, purpose, and profound impact.
The Challenge
Today, fewer students are entering education programs—and too often, teaching is viewed as a fallback career.
The Solution
With your support, Future Ready Teachers will:
- Share real stories that show how teachers shape lives and communities.
- Demystify clear, supported pathways into the teaching profession.
- Reframe teaching as a high-impact, purpose-driven career for talented, high-achieving students.