Across the nation, educator shortages are driven by declining teacher preparation enrollment, high turnover, and persistent underrepresentation of culturally diverse educators. Today’s Students Tomorrow’s Teachers (TSTT) offers a proven, scalable “grow-your-own” pipeline model that addresses recruitment and retention at every stage—from high school to teacher employment.

For more than 30 years, TSTT has recruited, mentored, and trained nearly 1,700 culturally diverse and economically challenged students, with more than 350 alumni now serving in classrooms nationwide. This session will highlight how intentional early recruitment, structured mentoring, community college partnerships, paid teacher assistant certification pathways, and four-year transfer support significantly increase persistence into teacher preparation programs and successful placement into teaching positions.

Participants will learn how TSTT’s model strengthens:

• Recruitment into teacher preparation programs through early exposure, leadership development, and sustained mentoring.
• Recruitment into teacher employment via paid classroom internships and teacher assistant certification.
• Recruitment of diverse candidates by removing financial and academic barriers.
• Retention within teacher preparation programs through academic monitoring and cohort support.
• Retention of existing teachers by preparing candidates who are rooted in and reflective of the communities they serve.
• Retention of diverse teachers through long-term mentorship and workforce placement support.

Target Audience: 

Higher Ed Career Services / Academic Advisor, Higher Ed Teacher Educator, PK-12 Recruitment and Retention / Talent Specialist, PK-12 School System Administrator

Presented by:

Bettye H. Perkins, Ed.D.

Today's Students Tomorrow's Teachers

Across the country, schools are facing increasing challenges with teacher retention and burnout, particularly among early-career educators. While recruitment efforts remain important, sustaining educators in the profession requires intentional mentorship, leadership development, and confidence-building from the very beginning of their careers.

This session explores how educators can cultivate resilience, purpose, and leadership identity among the next generation of teachers. Drawing from leadership coaching, mentoring experiences, and higher education leadership, Dr. Fabiola Riobé will introduce the Winning Starts Within framework—a model that helps emerging educators build confidence, navigate challenges, and remain committed to their professional calling.

Participants will explore strategies for mentoring aspiring and early-career educators, creating supportive professional environments, and reframing teaching as a leadership journey rather than simply a job. The session will provide practical approaches institutions and districts can use to strengthen teacher retention while empowering educators to thrive personally and professionally.

Target Audience: 

Higher Ed Teacher Educator, PK-12 Recruitment and Retention / Talent Specialist, PK-12 School System Administrator, All educators and school leaders 

Presented by:

Dr. Fabiola Riobé 

Satis Sum Consulting, LLC

Certification exams are one of the most stressful and high-stakes milestones in a teacher’s journey—and for many, they become a major barrier to confidence, classroom readiness, and long-term retention. When educators struggle or fail these exams, districts and preparation programs feel the impact through increased turnover, delayed placements, and lost return on investment.

In this engaging, solution-focused session, participants will explore how targeted academic and emotional support can dramatically improve certification exam outcomes while also strengthening teacher confidence, persistence, and retention.

Attendees will learn how to shift exam preparation from a reactive, high-stress experience into a proactive, supportive process that empowers teachers to succeed.

In this session, participants will learn how to:

1. Identify the most common academic, emotional, and systemic challenges teachers face when preparing for certification exams
2. Implement practical, scalable strategies that increase first-time pass rates while significantly reducing test anxiety
3. Support teachers in building confidence and content mastery without overwhelming them
4. Connect certification success to improved retention, reduced attrition, and stronger ROI for preparation programs and districts

Target Audience: 

Higher Ed Teacher Educator, PK-12 Recruitment and Retention / Talent Specialist, PK-12 School System Administrator, Professionals working in State Departments of Education

Presented by:

Dr. Jason Ampel

The Learning Liaisons

Persistent shortages in middle and high school STEM and Career Technical Education (CTE) highlight the need to better understand how individuals enter teaching, how they are supported, and why they stay, particularly in hard-to-fill subjects and school contexts. While recruitment and retention are often addressed separately, this session examines them as interconnected phases of a broader teacher workforce experience.

Drawing on practice-based examples, the session explores how structured opportunities for STEM professionals to explore teaching, through classroom exposure, guided reflection, and navigation of preparation pathways, can support entry into teacher preparation and employment, especially for candidates from diverse professional backgrounds. The session then examines how onboarding, mentoring, and communities of practice support new and novice teachers transitioning from industry into teaching roles, attending to both instructional development and social-emotional needs.

Participants will consider how these supports contribute to teacher persistence, reduce isolation, and foster a sense of belonging in hard-to-fill subjects and locations. Attention is given to how mentoring and leadership development can shift narratives about teaching from a role defined by attrition and burnout to one grounded in growth, purpose, and social contribution. Participants will leave with design considerations for aligning recruitment, support, and retention efforts in ways that are responsive to local context and equity goals.

Target Audience: 

PK-12 Recruitment and Retention / Talent Specialist

Presented by:

Angel Beamer/Executive Director

EnCorps STEM Teachers Program

The educator workforce shortage is a national crisis with far-reaching consequences for student achievement and the future of education. This session will introduce Rewriting the Retention Playbook—a new resource developed by the American Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA) in partnership with multiple national educational organizations. Attendees will learn about this resource document and explore critical shifts needed to transition from short-term crisis management to long-term sustainability, with practical, role-specific strategies that empower stakeholders across the educator pipeline.

Target Audience: 

Higher Ed Career Services / Academic Advisor, Higher Ed Teacher Educator, PK-12 Recruitment and Retention / Talent Specialist, PK-12 School System Administrator, Professionals working in State Departments of Education, Professionals working in affiliated nonprofit and for-profit organizations

Presented by:

Kelly Coash-Johnson, Executive Director

American Association of School Personnel Administrators

Men of color in education often navigate their work carrying unspoken pressures—balancing the demands of leadership, cultural expectations, and the emotional weight of serving students and communities who look to them for stability. This interactive workshop, facilitated by the Colorado Men of Color Collaborative (CMOCC), provides a space for male educators of color and their allies to recharge, restore, and reconnect with their purpose.

Participants will explore wellness strategies grounded in community, cultural affirmation, and shared lived experiences. Through storytelling, reflection, movement, and dialogue, this session aims to normalize conversations around men’s mental health, reduce stigma, and offer practical tools for sustaining emotional well-being in the profession.

Target Audience: 

Higher Ed Teacher Educator, PK-12 Recruitment and Retention / Talent Specialist, PK-12 School System Administrator, Professionals working in State Departments of Education, Professionals working in affiliated nonprofit and for-profit organizations

Presented by:

Dr. Fernando Branch/Executive Director

Colorado Men of Color Collaborative

AI is rapidly entering K–12 classrooms, yet most AI professional development for educators focuses on tools rather than practice. This session introduces a workflow-based professional learning model that builds teachers’ capacity to integrate AI into instructional planning, student work analysis, and administrative tasks, without compromising ethical standards or professional judgment. Grounded in adult learning theory and responsible AI frameworks, the model emphasizes structured reflection, verification habits, and human accountability. Participants will explore how teacher preparation programs and induction systems can embed AI literacy into authentic educator workflows, strengthening both recruitment and retention by increasing teacher efficiency, confidence, and defensible professional decision-making.

Target Audience: 

Higher Ed Teacher Educator, PK-12 School System Administrator, Professionals working in State Departments of Education

Presented by:

Dr. Joey Pearson

Moreland University 

The Louisiana Department of Education has committed significant resources to developing a Leadership Pipeline that supports educators at every stage of their leadership journey. Starting with our Leadership Boot Camp and culminating with our Mentor Principal Corps, aspiring and active Louisiana principals receive multiple opportunities for structured support and guidance tailored to their needs. This session will dive into the process used to develop these programs and provide time for participants to analyze their own leadership pipelines and begin brainstorming possible solutions while using Louisiana's PACE banner as a model for inspiration and replication. 

Target Audience: 

PK-12 School System Administrator, Professionals working in State Departments of Education, Professionals working in affiliated nonprofit and for-profit organizations

Presented by:

Kevin W. Nanney Ph.D./ Education Consultant

Louisiana Department of Education

Across the country, states and districts are investing significant resources in teacher recruitment while continuing to experience early-career attrition at concerning levels. Expanding entry points does not stabilize the workforce on its own. Retention improves when preparation, coaching, and school leadership support are aligned once teachers enter classrooms.

This session highlights how Teach For America Missouri has built a coordinated suite of early-career programs that operate as an embedded system of support rather than a series of disconnected offerings. The approach includes Accelerate’s instructional coaching for early-career teachers, leadership development and coaching structures, structured support for school leaders developing new teachers, and fellowship pathways that engage experienced educators in mentoring and leadership roles. Together, these efforts strengthen instructional practice and increase long-term persistence.

Participants supported through this model demonstrate substantially higher long-term retention compared to statewide averages.

The session will examine the system conditions that influence teacher persistence, including how early-career support is structured, how leaders are prepared to develop new teachers, clarity around instructional expectations, and consistency of feedback. Participants will reflect on where recruitment and retention efforts lose alignment and identify structural shifts that strengthen sustainability.

Attendees will leave with a practical framework for aligning recruitment and retention into a unified workforce strategy.

Target Audience: 

Higher Ed Career Services / Academic Advisor, Higher Ed Teacher Educator, PK-12 Recruitment and Retention / Talent Specialist, PK-12 School System Administrator, Professionals working in State Departments of Education, Professionals working in affiliated nonprofit and for-profit organizations

Presented by:

Dr Nacole Boan, Senior Managing Director,  Programs and Partnerships 

Teach For America MIssouri 

Special education consistently ranks among the most critical "hard to fill" teaching areas nationwide, yet traditional teacher preparation programs continue to treat general and special education as separate tracks.  This produces graduates licensed for one domain but underprepared to navigate integrated classroom realities. This structural separation limits the pipeline of licensed special educators while leaving general education teachers without the knowledge they need to effectively serve all learners.

Vermont State University's integrated undergraduate education programs offer a systemic alternative. Developed through over a decade of ongoing faculty work, these programs prepare all initial-licensure candidates for dual certification in both their grade level or content area and special education. Rather than offering parallel tracks or optional add-on endorsements, the curriculum intentionally intertwines general and special education pedagogy, policy, and practice throughout every course. The result: 100% of program completers enter the workforce eligible for special education licensure, expanding the pipeline through program design rather than relying on individual candidate interest.

This session presents the structure, rationale, and implementation lessons behind 

Vermont's integrated approach, including candid discussion of challenges and considerations for adaptation. Attendees will examine how intentional program design can address workforce shortages while improving teacher readiness, and will leave with practical considerations for their own state and institutional contexts. For those seeking systemic, rather than piecemeal, approaches to the special educator shortage, this session offers both proof of concept and an honest look at the challenges of implementation.

Target Audience: 

Higher Ed Career Services / Academic Advisor, Higher Ed Teacher Educator, PK-12 Recruitment and Retention / Talent Specialist, PK-12 School System Administrator, Professionals working in State Departments of Education, Professionals working in affiliated nonprofit and for-profit organizations

Presented by:

Michaela Stone, Ph.D.

Vermont State University

What does it take to maintain a successful acting career for over 16 years, landing roles in major TV series and films alongside Willam Defoe, Christoph Waltz, and Loretta Devine? The same accountability principles that apply to anyone wanting to level up their life. Warren shares his unique perspective on accountability through the lens of Hollywood, where keeping your word isn't just professional courtesy...it's career survival. Drawing from his experience on sets, his upcoming book "Keep Your Word," and his new innovative accountability app Duoism, Warren breaks down why accountability isn't about productivity or discipline—it's about understanding your accountability style and finding the right accountability partner to match.

This isn't another generic "set goals and crush them" talk. Warren introduces a revolutionary framework for identifying accountability styles (think Love Languages meets Myers-Briggs, but for getting things done) and provides a practical roadmap for finding and working with accountability partners who actually help you follow through. Whether you're an entrepreneur, executive, or anyone tired of breaking promises to yourself, you'll learn the exact system Warren and his accountability partner have used every Sunday for four years—the same system that sparked the creation of their accountability-matching app.

Target Audience: 

Higher Ed Career Services / Academic Advisor, PK-12 Recruitment and Retention / Talent Specialist, Professionals working in State Departments of Education, Professionals working in affiliated nonprofit and for-profit organizations

Presented by:

Warren Burke, Actor, Speaker & Accountability Expert

Keep Your Word, Inc.

Across education and workforce systems, attracting and retaining talent has become one of the most urgent challenges. From PK-12 to higher education and workforce development, organizations are competing for talent in an increasingly complex, global, and AI-influenced landscape.

This session introduces the CONNECT™ Framework, a practical communication approach designed to help leaders, educators, and workforce professionals strengthen talent pipelines, improve engagement, and deploy people more effectively. Participants will explore how communication directly impacts recruitment, retention, and long-term success—whether working with students, educators, or cross-sector partners.

Through real-world examples and interactive exercises, attendees will learn how to align messaging, build trust, and create meaningful connections that attract and sustain top talent. The session equips participants with actionable strategies they can immediately apply to improve outcomes in recruitment, advising, and workforce development efforts.

Target Audience: 

Higher Ed Career Services / Academic Advisor, Higher Ed Teacher Educator, PK-12 Recruitment and Retention / Talent Specialist, PK-12 School System Administrator, Professionals working in State Departments of Education, Professionals working in affiliated nonprofit and for-profit organizations

Presented by:

Irma Goosen, B.Sc, DTM | TEDx Speaker | TEDx Coach | Bestselling Author | Creator of the CONNECT™ Framework

Through a partnership with University of Colorado Denver School of Education & Human Development, Douglas County School District offers a dual enrollment pathway for high school students interested in pursuing careers in education.  This program provides courses that can transfer into degree programs in elementary, secondary, or special education.

Future Educator students will gain hands-on experience through a field placement at a DCSD elementary or middle school, while also earning relevant industry certifications and up to 21 college credits through CU Denver.

Target Audience: 

Higher Ed Teacher Educator, PK-12 Recruitment and Retention / Talent Specialist, PK-12 School System Administrator, Professionals working in State Departments of Education

Presented by:

Jack Kronser

Douglas County School District

As labor markets grow increasingly competitive, Human Resources leaders must strategically align their teams to attract and retain top talent. This session explores four critical areas—Systems, Recruitment, Branding, and Retention—where HR departments can sharpen their focus to improve outcomes and drive long-term success. Participants will examine how streamlined systems can improve candidate and employee experiences, how targeted recruitment efforts can yield stronger applicant pools, and how internal and external branding can enhance organizational appeal. Finally, the session will explore proactive retention strategies that support engagement, development, and longevity. Through real-world examples and actionable frameworks, attendees will leave equipped with practical tools to evaluate and enhance their current practices across each of these domains. This session is ideal for HR professionals, administrators, and leaders seeking to elevate the strategic impact of their HR teams in today’s fast-evolving workforce landscape.

Target Audience: 

Higher Ed Teacher Educator, PK-12 Recruitment and Retention / Talent Specialist, PK-12 School System Administrator, Professionals working in State Departments of Education

Presented by:

David Robertson

Vacaville Unified School District 

As labor markets grow increasingly competitive, Human Resources leaders must strategically align their teams to attract and retain top talent. This session explores four critical areas—Systems, Recruitment, Branding, and Retention—where HR departments can sharpen their focus to improve outcomes and drive long-term success. Participants will examine how streamlined systems can improve candidate and employee experiences, how targeted recruitment efforts can yield stronger applicant pools, and how internal and external branding can enhance organizational appeal. Finally, the session will explore proactive retention strategies that support engagement, development, and longevity. Through real-world examples and actionable frameworks, attendees will leave equipped with practical tools to evaluate and enhance their current practices across each of these domains. This session is ideal for HR professionals, administrators, and leaders seeking to elevate the strategic impact of their HR teams in today’s fast-evolving workforce landscape.

Target Audience: 

Higher Ed Teacher Educator, PK-12 Recruitment and Retention / Talent Specialist, PK-12 School System Administrator, Professionals working in State Departments of Education

Presented by:

David Robertson

Vacaville Unified School District 

Across the nation, school districts are increasingly faced with the difficult decision to close schools due to declining enrollment, budget constraints, facility needs, and shifting community demographics etc... While these decisions are often necessary, the impact on educators and support staff can be significant which can affect morale, retention, and future recruitment efforts. This presentation explores strategic, people centered approaches to supporting staff members impacted by school closures through the lens of recruitment and talent management.

Drawing from real world district experience, this session will highlight proactive strategies to retain high quality educators, maintain trust, and minimize disruption during times of transition. Participants will learn how intentional communication, individualized support, internal placement pathways, and strong collaboration between Human Resources, school leaders, and staff can transform a challenging situation into an opportunity for stability and growth.

Target Audience: 

PK-12 Recruitment and Retention / Talent Specialist, PK-12 School System Administrator

Presented by:

Carter Ness - Licensed Recruiter

Mesa County Valley School District 51

Leading change under pressure without burnout or silent failure 

When capable, committed professionals resist change, the issue is rarely motivation or 

mindset. Under sustained pressure, overload triggers neurological threat responses that 

degrade judgment, learning, and decision quality. 

This session reframes resistance and burnout as predictable outcomes of how change is 

designed and led. Grounded in neuroscience and leadership under pressure, it explains 

why smart people resist logical change, how stress quietly undermines execution, and why 

burnout has become a systemic risk. 

Leaders leave with practical insight into recognizing overload early and redesigning change 

environments before resistance turns into disengagement or failure. 

Target Audience: 

Higher Ed Career Services / Academic Advisor, Higher Ed Teacher Educator, PK-12 Recruitment and Retention / Talent Specialist, Professionals working in State Departments of Education

Presented by:

Ori Schibi

PM Konnectors

Teachers working in specialized and hard-to-staff instructional settings often face elevated levels of burnout and turnover due to workload demands, isolation, and inconsistent support structures. While recruitment remains important, workforce stability in PK–12 systems is strongly influenced by how well educators are supported, protected, and sustained once they are in the role.

This session examines how ethical, human-centered AI can be used as a compliance-aligned support strategy to strengthen onboarding, mentoring, communication, and workload management—without replacing professional judgment, instructional autonomy, or human relationships. Presented through an EEO and workforce equity lens, the session focuses on how leadership teams can use AI responsibly to reduce risk, improve consistency, and support educator well-being in specialized and high-need instructional contexts.

Participants will explore the growing reality of informal or “shadow AI” use in schools and the importance of establishing clear expectations, transparency, and guardrails that align with equity, non-discrimination, and workforce protections. Through real-world examples and guided discussion, attendees will gain practical insights into how AI can support retention efforts by fostering clarity, belonging, and sustainability—while remaining firmly within compliance and governance boundaries.

Target Audience: 

PK-12 Recruitment and Retention / Talent Specialist, PK-12 School System Administrator

Presented by:

Dr. Latasha Bacote-Owens

Bacote-Owens Educational Consulting LLC

During an interview day, candidates typically spend an average of just two hours on site. 

During this brief window of time, school leaders must not only gather crucial information about potential team members but also ignite that spark of inspiration that compels candidates to choose their school. It's a nearly impossible challenge to achieve all of this in such a constrained timeframe. Top-performing recruiters have unlocked the solution to this challenge, and the secret is  simple yet powerful: we make every moment in the candidate experience matter.

In this immersive session, participants will learn the art of strategically crafting a start-to-finish process that guarantees an unmatched experience for every candidate within their talent pool. From the initial networking call to the pivotal phone interview and concluding with the decisive final interview, a tailored experience is the key to securing the finest talent in the field.

Target Audience: 

PK-12 Recruitment and Retention / Talent Specialist, PK-12 School System Administrator, Building Leaders and Hiring Managers 

Presented by:

Candace Wilson

Dana Coleman Consulting 

In an era of persistent staffing challenges and workforce fatigue, exit interviews often come too late to meaningfully impact retention. This session highlights how Auburn-Washburn School District in northeast Kansas has intentionally embedded stay interviews into its human resources culture as a proactive, relationship-centered approach to retention.

Led by HR, Auburn-Washburn’s stay interview work focuses on listening to current employees to better understand why they stay, what supports their engagement, and what barriers may eventually push them away. Rather than functioning as a compliance activity or performance check, stay interviews are positioned as purposeful conversations grounded in trust, curiosity, and respect for the employee experience. Over time, this approach has surfaced valuable qualitative insights, informed leadership decision-making, and strengthened connections between staff and the district.

Participants will learn how HR led the design, rollout, and refinement of stay interviews across employee groups, including lessons learned, common themes, and practical considerations for sustainability. The session will also explore how stay interviews can serve as an early-warning system, helping districts respond to concerns before they become resignation letters.

Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of the value of stay interviews, along with actionable ideas for implementing or strengthening this practice within their own organizations to support retention, trust, and a healthier workplace culture.

Target Audience: 

PK-12 Recruitment and Retention / Talent Specialist, PK-12 School System Administrator, Professionals working in affiliated nonprofit and for-profit organizations

Presented by:

Scott Ritter

Auburn-Washburn USD #437

Have you ever departed from a conversation wondering what went wrong, or complained about a challenging situation without exploring how to improve it? What if these moments weren't failures, but opportunities for growth?

This workshop bridges growth mindset principles with critical reflection practices to help educators transform obstacles into catalysts for development. Critical reflection begins with self-awareness—examining our personal, cultural, and global perspectives. By understanding ourselves and where we come from, we develop the capacity to analyze our interactions, empathize with others, and achieve greater success in both personal and professional contexts.

Through guided critical reflection activities, you'll learn to examine not just what happened, but why it happened and how your assumptions shaped the outcome. You'll explore how growth-oriented thinking can deepen reflective practice, moving beyond surface-level analysis to uncover new meanings in your experiences. By reflecting on what we know, what we feel, and how we act, we can intentionally shape future actions and create positive change for ourselves and those we serve.

Participants will engage in self-discovery exercises, collaborative dialogue, and conflict resolution activities that model how critical reflection functions as a practical framework for ongoing professional growth and goal setting.

Target Audience: 

Higher Ed Teacher Educator

Presented by:

Melinda White, Program Director of World Language Education

Purdue University

From Pipeline to Purpose: Practical Strategies to Recruit, Retain, and Sustain Educators

This interactive workshop is designed for education leaders who are ready to move beyond theory and into actionable, high-impact strategies for recruiting, retaining, and supporting educators—especially in today’s most challenging contexts. Drawing from lived experience as a school principal and assistant superintendent, this session offers real-world insights from the front lines of teacher hiring, development, and retention in diverse, high-need systems.

Participants will engage in hands-on activities and problem-solving protocols that address the entire educator lifecycle—from recruitment into preparation programs and hard-to-fill roles, to retention of diverse and novice teachers, to sustaining educators through leadership pathways, social-emotional support, and narrative-shifting work. The session intentionally centers do-now skills leaders can immediately apply in their own districts, programs, and organizations.

Attendees will leave with concrete tools, sample frameworks, and adaptable strategies to:

Strengthen recruitment pipelines and expand access to diverse candidates

Reduce turnover by addressing root causes, not just symptoms

Support educators’ social-emotional needs while maintaining high expectations

Reframe the narrative around teaching as sustainable, impactful, and worthy of long-term commitment

This workshop is ideal for leaders who value quality, relevance, and practical application, and who are committed to building systems where teachers are not only recruited—but supported, developed, and retained. Expect an engaging, reflective, and solution-driven experience grounded in authentic leadership practice and focused on outcomes that matter.

Target Audience: 

PK-12 Recruitment and Retention / Talent Specialist, PK-12 School System Administrator, Professionals working in affiliated nonprofit and for-profit organizations

Presented by:

Dr. Precious Kurth 

Teachers Like Me 

Well-being plays a critical role in educator effectiveness, school culture, and long term retention (Herman et al., 2018). Yet many K–12 educators report persistent stress, emotional exhaustion, and limited time or support to engage in practices that promote their own well-being (Steiner & Woo, 2021). For school and district leaders, understanding and supporting the social, emotional, and psychosocial needs of educators is essential to cultivating the collaborative learning environments (Chesak et al., 2019; Harding et al., 2019) that play a role in increased retention (Sutcher et al., 2019). In this session, we highlight the benefits of proactively supporting educator well-being, including sustained engagement, the ability to navigate professional tensions, and opportunities to model the SEL competencies expected of students.

In the presentation, we offer research insights and practical strategies drawn from our work in K–12 and higher education settings, personal stress management practices, and ongoing engagement with mindfulness strategies. Attendees will leave with actionable approaches for strengthening staff well being and fostering conditions that help educators thrive personally and professionally. Educators and school leaders will leave this session with evidence informed tools to reduce teacher burnout, enhance educator resilience, and ultimately improve outcomes for the students they serve.

Target Audience: 

PK-12 Recruitment and Retention / Talent Specialist, PK-12 School System Administrator, Professionals working in State Departments of Education

Presented by:

Courtney Framel

University of Virginia

Across the United States, school districts face persistent challenges recruiting and retaining qualified educators, particularly in high-need subject areas and communities. Traditional recruitment strategies alone are no longer sufficient to meet the growing demand for teachers.

This session explores how early exposure and intentional pathway development can transform educator recruitment. Drawing from leadership experience in community colleges, workforce development initiatives, and dual enrollment programs, Dr. Fabiola Riobé will share strategies for building educator pipelines that begin before students ever enter a university teacher preparation program.

Participants will learn how partnerships between school districts, community colleges, and universities can create seamless pathways that introduce high school students to teaching careers through dual enrollment, mentorship, and experiential learning opportunities. These models not only strengthen recruitment but also diversify the educator workforce and support long-term retention.

Through practical examples and actionable strategies, attendees will leave with ideas for developing sustainable educator pipelines that inspire the next generation of teachers while strengthening the future of the profession.

Target Audience: 

Higher Ed Teacher Educator

Presented by:

Dr. Fabiola Riobé -CEO/ Global Leadership Strategist

Satis Sum Consulting, LLC

School districts across the country are facing persistent teacher shortages, particularly in hard-to-fill subject areas and urban settings. This session will highlight a district-led Aspiring Educators Initiative designed to intentionally recruit, prepare, and retain diverse paraprofessionals and substitute teachers into the teaching profession.

Participants will learn how one public school district built a sustainable “grow-your-own” pipeline by removing common barriers to entry into teacher preparation programs, including financial constraints, lack of academic advising, unclear certification pathways, and limited mentorship. The session will outline practical strategies such as university partnerships, Praxis preparation support, tuition assistance, cohort-based mentoring, and structured onboarding into teaching roles.

The presentation will emphasize collaboration between PK-12 school systems, higher education institutions, and community partners, while centering equity, belonging, and long-term retention. Attendees will leave with actionable tools, sample structures, and implementation considerations they can adapt to their own context to strengthen recruitment, improve retention, and shift the narrative about teaching as a viable, supported, and respected profession.

Target Audience: 

PK-12 Recruitment and Retention / Talent Specialist, PK-12 School System Administrator, Professionals working in State Departments of Education

Presented by:

Nancy Masoud - Executive Director of Human Resources and CEO of NOVA Educational Solutions

NOVA Educational Solutions

Despite sustained efforts to recruit diverse educators, retention continues to be one of the most pressing challenges facing schools and districts nationwide. Too often, diverse teachers leave the profession not due to a lack of commitment or skill, but because of workplace environments that do not consistently foster belonging, equity, psychological safety, or professional support. Retention, therefore, must be understood as a leadership, culture, and systems issue rather than an individual shortcoming.

This session examines the complex factors influencing the retention of diverse educators, including isolation, invisible labor, representation fatigue, inequitable expectations, and insufficient mentoring or leadership advocacy. Participants will explore how organizational practices, school climate, and leadership behaviors directly shape educator sustainability and job satisfaction.

Designed for educators and administrators, the session blends research-informed perspectives with practical, experience-based insights to identify strategies that strengthen retention outcomes. Through guided reflection, discussion, and applied examples, participants will gain tools to create inclusive environments where diverse educators feel valued, supported, and empowered to remain in the profession. Attendees will leave with actionable approaches to move beyond recruitment and toward building school cultures that sustain a diverse and thriving teaching workforce.

Target Audience: 

PK-12 Recruitment and Retention / Talent Specialist, PK-12 School System Administrator, Professionals working in State Departments of Education, Professionals working in affiliated nonprofit and for-profit organizations

Presented by:

Dr. Pamela Webb

Community of Learning

For over 16 years, the North Dakota Statewide Mentoring Program (ND RISE) has been instrumental in increasing teacher retention by creating a system of success and leadership for new teachers, experienced mentors, and educational leaders.  This session will offer a behind-the-curtain look at how the structure, program-specific research, responsiveness, and unwavering support of educators has contributed to consistently establishing higher rates of retention when compared to teachers not in the program.  The audience will be invited to contribute to the conversation through questions, feedback, and sharing ideas.   

Target Audience: 

PK-12 Recruitment and Retention / Talent Specialist, PK-12 School System Administrator, Professionals working in State Departments of Education, Professionals working in affiliated nonprofit and for-profit organizations

Presented by:

Erin Jacobson, ND RISE Coordinator

ND RISE