Attract & Prepare
Why It Matters
Attracting future educators to Ohio's talent pipeline is of utmost importance. Encouraging students and other potential candidates to consider education as a profession requires an intentional approach to attraction and preparation. This includes preparing future candidates for the realities of the profession and helping them to be learner-ready from day one.
Exploring Careers in Education
Having competent, caring educators is the greatest contributor to a child's success in school. All school employees have the opportunity to make a difference and empower Ohio's future generations. From high school students to current educators to career changers, Ohio offers many pathways to the professions that serve students of all ages.
Paraprofessionals
Paraprofessionals support students with disabilities and act as instructional support to classroom teachers. These resources and best practices are meant to support those entering the paraprofessional field—along with schools and districts seeking to engage with more paraprofessionals.
Substitute Teachers
Substitute teachers are important contributors to students’ academic achievement. Since Ohio’s updates to substitute teachers requirements, the qualifications are open to more candidates. If you are a substitute teacher, or a district seeking supports for substitute teachers, explore this section to find helpful resources.
Using Data to Monitor for Talent Needs
The Title II Higher Education Act requires that each state and educator preparation program report data annually on teacher preparation. The data found in the annual reports can help various entities understand part of the teacher supply from preparation providers and programs nationally and in each state. Using the Title II reports can help districts decide which educator preparation programs to form partnerships with and where to find candidates in specific licensure areas for hard-to-staff positions. Use the helpful instructions to get started with these powerful datasets.
NOTE: The data files typically available on the Title II website are being reviewed for accuracy. The estimated timeline for return is November 2024.
Grow Your Own
Grow Your Own (GYO) is a strategy that enables schools and districts to expand their candidate pools and improve retention rates by cultivating talent within their communities. Through these programs, schools and districts build relationships with prospective candidates as they help prepare individuals for future careers in education.
Registered Teacher Apprenticeships
Teacher shortages are a challenge, but Ohio is tackling it head-on with a game-changing solution: Registered Teacher Apprenticeships (RTAPs).
This innovative type of Grow Your Own program is opening doors for aspiring educators—right in their own communities. Apprentices receive pay to learn and earn their teaching degrees while making a real difference in local classrooms.
Since August 2023, Ohio has officially recognized teaching as a registered apprenticeship. This means local school districts, in partnership with universities and colleges, can create apprenticeship programs tailored to their specific needs.
The Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) is the teacher apprenticeship sponsor and collaborates with the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (ODJFS) to review and approve apprenticeship applications. Visit the ODHE website or reach out to EdApprentice@highered.ohio.gov for more information.
Strategies for Attracting Staff
Recruiting career changers into the teaching profession is part of a strategy to address teacher shortages in hard-to-staff areas and schools. This resource describes a comprehensive and intentional approach to the recruitment and retention of career changers that leverages their prior experience, eases their financial burdens, and provides a strong network of support.
Filling open positions in a district may require more than simply recruiting staff members already interested in the job or with the correct credentials — it may require attracting people into the field of education. This resource describes strategies for attracting talent from outside of education to open classified positions in shortage areas.