2024 in Review: Stronger Pathways, Stronger Teachers, Stronger Communities

On a recent webinar we hosted with partners, a new teacher, Kendrick Mason, reflected powerfully on the depth and care embedded in his preparation experiences through an apprenticeship program: “When you build this program and guarantee me support—stand with me, even when it gets hard—I know I’ll be all right,” he shared.

He’s among many well-prepared educators across our country who are deeply invested in being more than “a warm-blooded person in a classroom.” In his words, it’s about being “a trained educator who reflects the students and the needs of this community.” His story mirrors that of a growing number of new teachers who are feeling empowered by the strong alignment between their teacher-preparation program and school district—a reality that seemed mostly out of reach a decade ago but is steadily improving with the persistent dedication of DFI and partners in the field.

In 2024, we contributed to meaningful progress in continuing to break down these barriers. This year has been marked by the rapid growth of teacher apprenticeships, which create more affordable, practice-based pathways into teaching and help address strategic staffing needs for schools across the country. We’re also witnessing an exciting national shift towards prioritizing evidence-based instructional practices—a movement that has gained traction for the last few years in PK-12 but is now accelerating with the alignment of teacher preparation to these instructional practices. Meanwhile, as technologies like AI continue to evolve, we are starting to see thoughtful exploration within the educator-preparation community around how to intentionally leverage these tools to support effective, inclusive learning experiences for not only PK-12 students, but also for aspiring teachers.

As we approach our 10th anniversary, I am incredibly proud of the strides we have individually and collectively made to improve both access and quality across the growing number of pathways into teaching. Looking ahead, we remain committed to supporting leaders, teacher-educators, and policymakers as they prepare future educators for the dynamic challenges of today and tomorrow’s classrooms. Together, we are navigating the evolving workforce and education landscape with care, optimism, and an unwavering focus on student-centered outcomes.

Access our report below to see the biggest headlines from our work in 2024 to ensure more students access well-prepared teachers.

In partnership,

Valerie Sakimura
Executive Director, DFI

Read our 2024 in Review Report