Ed-prep leaders as changemakers: co-creating a shared vision

This story was initially published in DFI's report Lead Boldly, Teach Brilliantly.

The landscape of teaching and learning is shifting rapidly, especially on the heels of rapid technological changes that evolved out of the COVID-19 pandemic, putting increased pressure on educator-preparation leaders. Districts are looking for stronger, more responsive partnerships as they prepare students for an unpredictable future. New pathways into the profession are emerging, in tandem with innovative strategic staffing solutions. Funding sources are changing as state policies and priorities shift. And the value of educator preparation is increasingly questioned in a world where leaders are being asked to do “more with less.”

In this moment, EPP leaders must be more than program administrators: they must be strategic, collaborative change agents who anticipate what’s ahead and adapt with purpose, bringing their teams along with care and attentiveness. They are able to respond to new demands without losing sight of their core values, engage teacher-educators in shared governance to inspire them to make change, and build partnerships that strengthen, and not dilute, the work of teacher preparation. 

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When Camden City School District in South New Jersey was facing mounting challenges, from teacher shortages to pipeline gaps and low retention, it would have been easy for Rowan University’s College of Education to offer an existing solution. But Dean Gaëtane Jean-Marie took a different path: one rooted in listening, co-creation, and strategic clarity.

In late 2023, Jean-Marie brought together leaders from the New Jersey Department of Education, Camden City School District, and Rowan University for a convening. The goal wasn’t to pitch a program: it was to ask the right questions. What are the most urgent needs? What solutions already exist? What is missing? She facilitated an intentionally-structured conversation grounded in community realities and driven by shared urgency.

This discerning, collaborative leadership style is emblematic of Jean-Marie’s broader approach: responding to complexity not with quick fixes, but with deliberate, inclusive action that centers long-term sustainability and local needs.

“We moved from conversation to implementation in just a few months,” Jean-Marie said, as she reflected on how she stewarded the group to balance urgency while also retaining quality standards for teacher preparation. “That’s what strategic partnership looks like.”

By early 2024, that convening had led to the creation of Teach Camden: a grow-your-own pathway that supports paraprofessionals in the district who already hold bachelor’s degrees but hadn’t been able to pursue certification. With Rowan University’s support, aspiring teachers receive preparation support for licensure exams, attend a district-embedded professional development institute, take coursework in the ASPIRE to Teach alternate pathway program funded by the district, and are mentored by current principals – future employers who see their growth firsthand.

“It’s not only about bringing individuals together and problematizing, without a solution,” Jean-Marie shared. “I learned to be very deliberate in zoning in on the issue and empowering stakeholders at the table to address it, stay persistent with the engagement, and move forward in partnership to implement a plan of action.”

Meaningfully, Jean-Marie also highlighted the value of building lasting relationships with some of the leaders in her fellowship cohort who supported and cheered for her from their different contexts.

“Leadership is quite an undertaking, and there are many benefits,” Jean-Marie shares. “But it can be so isolating. So to have this network, to have colleagues like Cheryl [Holcomb-McCoy, now of AACTE, formerly of American University], Ellen [McIntyre, of University of Tennessee-Knoxville], and Kim [Winter, of Western Carolina University], with some staying in touch years later that I can directly call up with questions, is very impactful.”

Jean-Marie’s work is a powerful example of what it means to lead change with strategic agility: not reactive pivots or surface-level adjustments, but deliberate, informed shifts rooted in co-creating sustainable solutions that work for all. Navigating and managing complex change requires more than bringing people together. It demands the ability to convene, discern, and act, and to do so in partnership with those most impacted by the issue at the center.

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How can leaders manage change with strategic agility and discernment?

In our report, Lead Boldly, Teach Brilliantly, we identify strategically navigating and managing change as one of three critical, mutually-reinforcing priorities leaders can act on in order to strengthen teacher preparation over the next 10 years. To put this priority into action, we encourage leaders to:

1. Lead with intentional collaboration, not one-size-fits-all approaches. Form deep, reciprocal relationships with teacher-educators, local education agencies, community stakeholders, and state leaders to co-create solutions to emerging challenges and opportunities – not just deliver existing programs. This means convening partners to understand real needs, identifying shared priorities, and moving from dialogue to collective action. Sustain these relationships by showing up, listening actively, and sharing ownership of results.
   
   
2. (Re)design for flexibility and adaptiveness, without compromising quality. Build and refine pathways that meet local workforce needs while upholding rigorous preparation. Rather than staying in line with traditional program structures, view policy shifts (e.g., sunset of ESSER, new apprenticeship funding) as opportunities to test out new models that may better meet the needs of aspiring teachers, the communities they serve, and their future students. Consider not only program design but also sustainable funding models; many successful initiatives have leveraged braided funding streams, including federal grants, school district contributions, state allocations, and philanthropic support. Encourage innovation when it’s responsive to real, on-the-ground challenges, while continuing to anchor these changes in what students and schools need now and what will sustain their learning in the future. 
   
   
3. Galvanize program teams in a culture of reflection, responsiveness, and innovation. Create safe and collaborative spaces for program faculty and staff to explore emerging trends, ask hard questions, and pilot new ideas. Stay informed about policy and funding shifts, and support your team to adapt mindsets and practices accordingly. Regularly check in with individual team members, assess your program’s strengths and vulnerabilities, and course-correct especially when expectations and assumptions don’t align with reality. Try out varied and new ways of soliciting different voices and perspectives in decision-making that can help sustain team engagement and buy-in over time.

Learn More

DFI has supported a community of nearly 200 leaders through our Impact Academy fellowship and Leadership Collaborative alumni network to transform teaching and learning in their communities and in collective efforts. To get involved, apply to be a 2026-27 Impact Academy fellow or get in touch to learn more: