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My experiences during and after COVID have shaped me as a leader, especially in staffing. They renewed my sense of purpose, clarity, and intentionality.

Reflecting on the Past Five Years

It鈥檚 hard to believe five years have passed. In that time, I鈥檝e worked in three districts. I was Deputy Superintendent in New Mexico when COVID began. My first year ended with closures. The next brought hybrid models, small group instruction, and full in-person learning. Every shift required a new instructional model鈥攁nd new leadership. It was exhausting, yet empowering. We became the first district in the state to outline a new, blended model.

Later, in a remote West Texas district, I faced overwhelming staffing shortages. At times, we had no candidates. We explored housing options, no-cost degree advancement, and more.

Eventually, I returned to the Austin area. I served as Assistant Superintendent of HR and now work as Chief of Schools.

COVID pushed me to fight harder for students. That meant recruiting teachers who are qualified, love kids, and believe in the impact of education.

Future-Ready Students Need Present-Ready Teachers

Developing future-ready students is nearly impossible without qualified staff. Regardless of the challenge鈥攑ay, support, or interest in the profession鈥攖he mission is the same: every student graduates ready for college, career, or military.

But are our current efforts truly preparing students for their future?

COVID pushed me to fight harder for students. That meant recruiting teachers who are qualified, love kids, and believe in the impact of education.

In October 2022, when I arrived in my current district, we had:

• 42 open positions

• 19% attrition rate

• 40 new positions added annually

• Frequent campus openings

We haven鈥檛 solved the problem completely鈥攂ut we鈥檝e made meaningful progress. 

By August 2024, we had:

• 21 vacancies

• 30 positions repurposed

• 26 new positions added

• A new middle school opened

What COVID Taught Us

The pandemic showed us how quickly we must adapt鈥攁nd what鈥檚 at stake if we don鈥檛.

COVID taught me this: everything we believed about school might no longer be true. The pandemic showed us how quickly we must adapt鈥攁nd what鈥檚 at stake if we don鈥檛.

 

For decades, we鈥檝e discussed moving away from the industrial revolutionary model of schooling. Despite our efforts, that change hasn鈥檛 materialized. Many of us believed COVID would finally propel schools into becoming learning organizations.

But five years later, most schools went back to business as usual鈥攋ust with more students sitting in front of computers.

Building Pathways Into the Profession

When I joined my current district, I focused on diversifying teacher pipelines. We launched our 鈥淧athways to the Profession鈥� initiative, which included:

• Job-sharing

• International teachers

• Paid clinical student teaching

• Teacher residency programs

• Pilots of innovative staffing models

Job-sharing had limited retention, with fewer than 1% of teachers participating. However, our 15 international teachers have been essential鈥攅specially in special education and bilingual roles鈥攐ffering cultural connection and filling high-need vacancies.

Through this journey, I鈥檝e learned that no single strategy will solve staffing. We must build and sustain multiple, innovative pathways into the profession.

To attract student teachers, we offered stipends to those in high-need areas. From 2022鈥�2025, hiring rates ranged from 40鈥�50%, with better outcomes when we required a two-year commitment.

We also launched a pilot of alternative teaching models. For example, instead of five second-grade classrooms, we explored flexible grouping to focus on student needs. Though results haven鈥檛 met our expectations yet, we continue piloting. Strong teams and leaders are key.

Our teacher residency program has been especially successful. In partnership with a local university:

• In 2022鈥�23: 14 residents, 50% hired

• In 2023鈥�24: 9 residents, 77% hired

• In 2024鈥�25: 8 residents, 87% signed
  

Still, we couldn鈥檛 fill all funded slots. Fewer students are choosing education as a major, and parents aren鈥檛 encouraging it. University programs are shrinking.

That鈥檚 when we realized: no one is coming to save us.

Owning the Problem - and the Solution

As an employer, I had to own both the problem and the solution. I believed people in our community wanted to become teachers鈥攂ut didn鈥檛 know how.

So, we launched the boldest experiment of my career: a teacher apprenticeship program.

We became the first district in Central Texas to register a Department of Labor apprenticeship. With support from a fellowship of districts, we hosted two info sessions鈥�197 people attended. We received 90+ applications, interviewed 70+, and accepted 49.

If you change someone鈥檚 life, they鈥檒l change the lives of children. That is the true purpose of education.

Apprentices work full time in support roles, receive on-the-job training, and attend a partnered university tuition-free. We designed four 鈥渙nramps鈥� based on college credits: 0鈥�30, 30鈥�60, 60鈥�90, and 90鈥揷ompletion.

Later, we added 18 more apprentices from our existing paraprofessional staff. We now have a 88% retention rate heading into year two, with 75 apprentices enrolled for 2025鈥�26.

Through this journey, I鈥檝e learned that no single strategy will solve staffing. We must build and sustain multiple, innovative pathways into the profession.

A Lesson in Hope

Above all, this experience taught me: If you change someone鈥檚 life, they鈥檒l change the lives of children. That is the true purpose of education.

Education has always been about hope, and apprenticeship has allowed me to rediscover joy in a profession I truly love. I had no idea that launching a teacher apprenticeship could change more than the trajectory of students 鈥� it has reignited my belief in what鈥檚 possible.