How has the field of teacher preparation evolved over the last decade? Where is it headed, and how can stakeholders work together to ensure all pathways into teaching are affordable and high-quality?
This six-episode podcast, hosted by Deans for Impact Executive Director Valerie Sakimura, will feature insights from leaders and educators working collectively towards a future when all students are taught by well-prepared teachers.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.
Episode 1: A Third Way: The Founding of Deans for Impact
DFI Executive Director and co-founder Valerie Sakimura sits down with founder Benjamin Riley and co-founder Pete Fishman to revisit the bold vision that launched Deans for Impact a decade ago. Together, they reflect on the early days of disrupting the status quo in teacher preparation. Gathering inspiration and input from leaders in the field, they explore how DFI’s founding was rooted in a “third way” approach that continues to be more relevant than ever: one that fused the poetry of storytelling and transformational leadership with the plumbing of systems, structures, and scientifically-informed change.
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Episode 2: Leading in a Changing Landscape
In this episode, host and DFI Executive Director Valerie Sakimura is joined by Sara DeLano, Ellen McIntyre, and Carolyn Theard-Griggs, who lead teacher-preparation programs in very different geographical and institutional contexts. They examine how the role of leaders has evolved over the last decade, and the mindsets and actions necessary of EPP leaders to champion accessible, high-quality pathways in teaching, looking ahead.
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Episode 3: Crossing the Advocacy Divide
Too often, teacher preparation and PK-12 policy are treated as separate: funded, legislated, and advocated for in isolation from one another. The result is a persistent disconnect that affects teacher retention, workforce quality, and ultimately, student learning – especially for those furthest from opportunity. DFI Executive Director Valerie Sakimura sits down with Jennifer Alexander (Executive Director, PIE Network), David Rosenberg (Leader-In-Residence, TeachPlus), and Ryan Franklin (Managing Director of Policy and Advocacy, Philanthropy Advocates) to explore how greater policy alignment can strengthen teacher pipelines and expand student access to more effective instruction.
