AACTE Issues Bold National Call to Action Urging Federal Leadership to Strengthen America’s Educator Workforce

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This comprehensive framework outlines four federal levers to address teacher shortages, strengthen accountability, and ensure long-term sustainability of the educator workforce.

(February 27, 2026, Washington, D.C.) — AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education) today released a sweeping Call to Action urging federal leadership to address the nation’s deepening educator workforce crisis.

A Call to Action: Federal Support for Systemic Approaches for Educator Workforce Development and Design outlines four strategic federal levers designed to stabilize, strengthen, and modernize the educator workforce at a time of chronic teacher shortages, declining federal investment, and growing strain on educator preparation programs nationwide.

The Call to Action has been endorsed by more than a dozen leading national education organizations, reflecting a broad consensus that piecemeal solutions are no longer sufficient.

“America’s educator workforce is foundational to our democracy, our economy, and our future,” said AACTE President and CEO Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, Ph.D. “This Call to Action presents concrete federal levers that move beyond rhetoric to real solutions. Developed alongside national partners, these recommendations outline how we rebuild and sustain a strong, diverse, and highly prepared educator workforce for the long term.”

Four Federal Levers for Systemic Change

AACTE’s framework calls for bold federal action in four critical areas:

1. Federal Leadership and System Accountability

AACTE calls for the establishment of an Office of Educator Workforce within the U.S. Department of Education. This office would provide coordinated national leadership, inform cross-agency policy, strengthen accountability, and elevate educator workforce development as a federal priority.

2. Investment, Innovation, and Sustainability

AACTE urges Congress to authorize a $1 billion Quality Educator Partnership Program to modernize educator preparation and redesign the profession for long-term sustainability. Investments would be tied to measurable outcomes, supporting innovation while ensuring accountability and impact.

3. Affordability

To remove financial barriers to the profession, AACTE calls for an expanded scholarship program modeled after the National Health Service Corps. The National Education Service Corps would provide predictable, service-based support for future educators who agree to work in high-need fields at eligible schools.

4. Research, Evidence, and the Future of Learning

AACTE proposes establishing a National Center for Research and Technical Support on Educator Workforce Development and Design within the Institute of Education Sciences. This center would advance research, technical assistance, and innovation aligned with evolving classroom realities, including emerging technologies and new models of teaching and learning.

“This framework is grounded in research and informed by decades of data on workforce supply, educator preparation, and school system needs,” said Jacqueline King, Ph.D., senior consultant to AACTE, who led the development of the recommendations. “If we want sustainable solutions to teacher shortages and stronger outcomes for students, federal policy must treat educator workforce development and design as a coordinated, evidence-based system — not a patchwork of short-term fixes.”

The Call to Action emphasizes that the future of learning requires modernized preparation models, continuous improvement, and intentional federal partnership. As the paper states, “This new federal approach builds on significant progress in teacher preparation while recognizing that classrooms of the future demand innovation, new technologies, and sustainable program design.”

The Call to Action is endorsed by:

• ACTFL
• American Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA)
• American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
• Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges for Teacher Education (AILACTE)
• City Teaching Alliance
• Council of Academic Deans from Research Education Institutions (CADREI)
• Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
• Deans for Impact
• EdTrust
• InnovateEDU
• ISTE+ASCD
• National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement (NAFSCE)
• National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD)
• National Center for Teacher Residencies (NCTR)
• National Education Association (NEA)
• Teacher Education Council of State Colleges and Universities (TECSCU)

AACTE calls on federal policymakers, state leaders, and higher education institutions to act with urgency.

The full Call to Action is available for download at AACTE’s website. Organizations interested in endorsing this Call to Action may contact govrel@aacte.org for more information.