After completing my dissertation research in 2020, I learned two things to be true:
1. There were not enough dual language programs to meet the demand for them; and
2. There were definitely not enough qualified teachers to fill new programs.
Almost six years later, our partnership with the National Center for Teacher Residencies addresses the teacher pipeline.
What starts as a young teacher seeking a pathway to serve their community can become an empowered professional who switches between languages, supports their students, and is an essential part of their educational ecosystem.
Occurrences like these are possible thanks to the National Center for Teacher Residencies (NCTR), a national leader in high-quality, equity-driven teacher preparation.
By embedding aspiring educators in classrooms for a full year alongside skilled mentors, NCTR is transforming how teachers are trained and retained, especially in high-need fields like bilingual education.
What Is NCTR and How Does the Residency Model Work?
The National Center for Teacher Residencies (NCTR) partners with districts and schools to design and sustain paid, yearlong teacher residencies that integrate coursework with practical classroom experience.
Each residency pairs a teacher candidate with a mentor for a full academic year.
This shapes future educators who are more prepared, more supported, and more likely to stay.
Residents:
• Work side-by-side with experienced teachers from the first day of school
• Complete a graduate-level curriculum tied to real-world practice
• Receive a living stipend to reduce financial barriers
• Commit to teaching in the same district post-certification, reinforcing local pipelines
In sum, the benefits are:
• For residents: more confidence, stronger mentorship, and a deeper understanding of their students
• For fellow teachers: added trust and stronger teamwork
• For schools: lower turnover and more culturally responsive and prepared educators
• For communities: pipelines that develop educators who already know and reflect the neighborhoods they serve
Why It Matters: The Educator Shortage and Equity Crisis
Across the U.S., schools face critical staffing shortages in bilingual, special education, and STEM teaching roles.
Back in the 2020-21 school year, around 27% of English language development positions were unfilled.
When this happens, districts often rely on long-term substitutes or hires that lack experience in multilingual settings.
That instability affects student learning, making it especially difficult for English learners.
NCTR responds by:
• Targeting high-need licensure areas: including dual-language and ESL positions often left vacant
• Supporting Grow-Your-Own (GYO) partnerships: building teacher pipelines from within communities
• Recruiting candidates with varied background: with a focus on multilingual and teachers of color
While only 20% of U.S. public school teachers identify as people of color, 69% of NCTR’s 2022–23 residency candidates were teachers of color—more than triple the national average.
Residencies help candidates build the cultural awareness and classroom confidence that lead to longer careers in teaching.
Thanks to their work, we can expect more welcoming environments for new teachers, as well as increased commitment to the field.
How the Sullivan Family Charitable Foundation Takes Part
Our partnership with NCTR reflects a shared belief in sustained, community-rooted impact, translated through:
• Backing bilingual-focused residency programs: prioritizing preparation for teachers serving multilingual learners, especially in our local communities.
• Supporting the development of diverse mentors: ensuring residents are guided by experienced educators who reflect and respect the communities they serve.
• Investing in data systems that drive equity: funding infrastructure that tracks program impact, informs policy, and enables strategic scaling.
Rather than short-term grants, we like to focus on long-term partnerships that help build entire educator ecosystems and address a systemic need. In this case, from aspiring paraprofessionals to classroom leaders.
Impact by the Numbers: Almost Two Decades of Growth
Since 2007, NCTR has helped launch over 125 residency programs in 33 states, teaching more than 1.9 million students across the U.S.
Today, more than 14,600 teachers have trained through their network.
Other key milestones include:
• 650+ school districts engaged
• 2,571 teacher residents enrolled in programs for 2024-2025
• 95% of principals report residency graduates more prepared than an average new teacher
• $40M Black Educators Initiative to prepare and retain 2,400 new teachers
Spotlight: SEED Grant for Pipeline Expansion
In 2022, NCTR received a $6.7 million Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) Grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
This investment seeks to support the expansion and diversification of teacher pipelines— and especially affects multilingual and high-need districts.
The SEED grant fuels:
• Increased residency access for candidates of color
• Strengthened school-district partnerships
• Initiatives to support underserved students
• Program innovation and national scale-up efforts
NCTR also supports programs transitioning into registered teacher apprenticeships—“earn while you learn” models that provide salaries and benefits during training.
What Success Looks Like: Retention and Classroom Impact
Residency-trained educators bring credentials, but also staying power and community connection.
After completing their residency year, many teachers continue in Title I classrooms, become mentors themselves, and build strong, stable school cultures.
School leaders report that these educators:
• Enter classrooms with practical experience that goes beyond theory
• Collaborate effectively with peers and families
• Use culturally responsive strategies that reflect the students they serve
This continuity is especially powerful for English learners, who thrive in relationships with teachers who understand their languages, families, and identities.
What’s Next for NCTR
NCTR is looking ahead with a bold but focused vision:
• Expanding apprenticeship pathways to make residency financially viable for more candidates
• Strengthening Grow-Your-Own pipelines that recruit from within varied linguistic and social communities
• Removing entry barriers by increasing stipends, adding wraparound supports and reducing tuition burdens
These efforts aim to ensure that cost is never the reason a strong candidate walks away from the classroom.
With increased philanthropic and public investment, NCTR can bring this model to more communities, especially those serving large populations of English learners.
Real and Close Preparation for Lasting Impact
In today’s classrooms, teacher quality shapes opportunity, while continuity sustains it.
NCTR’s residency model offers more than a credential: it provides a pathway into teaching that is immersive, supportive, and deeply connected to local communities.
For organizations like the Sullivan Family Charitable Foundation, the message is clear: when we support diverse educators who are committed to their students and their schools, we lay the groundwork for long-term equity.
Residency by residency, NCTR is proving what’s possible when the commitment to preparation matches the calling to serve.
