Building Educator Pathways Based on Aptitude & Interests
Editor’s Note: Shannon Cox and Marion Stout from Montgomery County ESC contributed to this blog.
As a member of the Pathways to Prosperity Network, Montgomery County ESC has focused on creating meaningful career pathways for students in partnership with area school districts, economic development professionals, and regional higher education partners. Knowing that many students remain in the region as adults, a central goal is to prepare students to succeed in in-demand sectors of the local economy. While the number of certified teachers exceeds openings in Ohio, shortages persist in areas such as special education and high school STEM. In addition, the percentage of teachers of color is far below the percentage of students of color. As a result, encouraging students to consider a career in education is a priority in the region.
Montgomery County ESC's approach to creating student pathways to education includes both skill alignment and the use of aptitude tests to help current high school students explore whether their aptitudes and interests align with the teaching profession. Shannon Cox, the Superintendent of Montgomery County ESC, noted that “without quality teachers, quality instruction doesn’t happen… Attracting service-minded students is essential, and we are focusing recruitment efforts on those with the right skillset and mindset to be a quality educator.”
In the past, students with high aptitude test scores in the human services area were directed to explore industries such as healthcare. Now, a school counselor or career champion at the ESC, also introduces such students to pathways in the field of education. The conversation with each student on potential pathways is critical, and the ESC anchors it to the concept of Future Self. Future Self refers to the ability to envision yourself in a positive future that reflects your personal value system regardless of the difficulties you may encounter. Professionals who coach students on career exploration use tools such as ikigai, a Japanese concept meaning “a reason for being.” Ikigai combines four dimensions:
Passion: what you love,
Vocation: what you are good at,
Mission: what the world needs, and
Profession: what you can be paid for.
This approach helps students understand how their vision of their future self aligns with their aptitudes and interests and connects to satisfaction and wealth considerations. These efforts are reinforced by integrating social and emotional learning (relationship skills, social awareness, self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making) into the curriculum.
Results are promising, with students reporting that when work-based learning opportunities are aligned to their interests, it doesn’t feel like work.
Montgomery County ESC also prioritizes diversifying the field of education. In collaboration with all sixteen of the Montgomery County school districts, Learn to Earn Dayton, and regional higher education partners, the ESC is exploring a Teaching for Equity Fellowship Program to start in July 2021 that will provide financial assistance for interested and skill-aligned students to pursue a teaching degree. The program is designed to attract and employ more teachers of color in Dayton and Montgomery County K-12 classrooms by decreasing the financial burden of teaching degree. The overall program goal is to double the percentage of teachers of color by 2030, from 9% (2020) to 18% by 2030. Elements of the program’s infrastructure includes increasing accessibility to sophomores, juniors, and seniors and aligning targeted recruitment with students’ aptitude test results. Partnerships are key for the success of the program. In addition to higher education, the ESC also works closely with the its Business Advisory Council and Chamber of Commerce to promote the Educator Pathway along with all other in-demand industry sectors.
To learn more about Grow Your Own strategies, visit Ohio’s Human Capital Resource Center, https://ohiohcrc.org/attract-prepare.