Building Sustainable Funding for Teacher Residency Programs

Schools across the U.S. are facing substantial challenges filling positions ( Bleiberg & Kraft, 2022 ) and are considering solutions to address potential teacher shortages. As of 2022, almost half of the States in the U.S. create or support teacher residency programs (TRPs) through statute or regulation ( Education Commission of the States, 2022 ). TRPs are a structured, alternative mode of entry into the education profession that combines coursework in education with extensive on-the-job training, modeled after medical residencies ( Guha et al. 2016 ; Silva et al. 2014 ). To fulfill its promise, TRPs need to be organized and funded to offer living stipends to attract high-quality candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences while providing them with intensive preparation. In this commentary article, we discuss “4 Rs” of sustainable funding: Reallocation, Reduction, Reinvestment, and Realignment. The literature suggests that most of the needed resources are already in the system, but they need to be realigned and reapplied. This transition can occur through cooperation and collaboration among state policymakers, EPPs, and local school districts.