Career Technical Education (CTE) teacher recruitment is a challenge that has dogged state CTE leaders for decades. According to a recent survey of State CTE Directors, 98 percent said that increasing access to industry experts is a high priority in their state. And 20.4 percent of rural districts with CTE teacher vacancies report that CTE positions were either very difficult or impossible to fill.
This brief is the fourth, and final, installment in the CTE on the Frontier series, which examines challenges and strategies for expanding access to high-quality career pathways in rural areas. The brief explores one of the most pressing challenges rural schools and institutions face: strengthening the pipeline of qualified CTE teachers and faculty.
Recruiting and retaining qualified teachers can make or break a CTE program. This brief examines some of the following approaches states are taking to support rural CTE teachers:
- Recruiting within the community by expanding grow-your-own teacher academy pathways or reducing barriers to entry for industry professionals.
- Innovating to compete with industry by valuing work experience in teacher and faculty salary schedules.
- Restructuring new teacher induction programs to extend supports and mentorship opportunities throughout the first year, and providing a continuum of supports for veteran teachers.
- Strengthening relationships with traditional teacher preparation pipelines.
- Adopting a diversified approach to recruiting and training new instructors, establishing multiple pathways into CTE classrooms.
Click here to explore other resources in the CTE on the Frontier series.
CTE on the Frontier: Strengthening the Rural CTE Teacher Pipeline was developed through the New Skills for Youth initiative, a partnership of the Council of Chief State School Officers, Advance CTE and Education Strategy Group, generously funded by JPMorgan Chase & Co.
