Heading into fall 2022, nearly 7% of teaching positions in North Dakota were unfilled. Between attracting young talent and retaining career professionals, a teacher shortage crisis in a rural state can be particularly challenging — but North Dakota's Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI) found a way.

In this episode of the Best of Us, we speak with Laurie Matzke, Assistant State Superintendent for the NDDPI. Laurie shares how her team found inspiration in the state’s first paraprofessional-to-teacher pipeline program, originally created prior to the pandemic, to build post-COVID solutions for special education and teacher shortages across the spectrum. We discuss the partnerships that have been critical to successfully expanding the program, what they’ve learned along the way, and how they’re measuring success.

Listen now:

Transcript:

Jeremy Rogoff
We talk to practitioners very often in school districts around improving the educator experience. We talk to professional learning leaders, but I think the work that you're doing in North Dakota, focusing on the educator pipeline, is critical to ensuring that we have high quality educators in our buildings, not just for a year, but for a career for many years. I’m so excited to dig into the work that you've been doing.

I'd love to start for our listeners, if you could just frame the problem a bit. When it comes to attracting teachers, we know that we have a teacher morale crisis. We know that we have a teacher retention issue. But talk about how that has been specifically acute in the state of North Dakota.

Laurie Matzke
Sure, I'd be happy to. So North Dakota, like most other states, is facing a pretty dire teacher shortage. And so just this past year, 22-23, we had 613 unfilled positions. And that may not sound like a lot to some, but North Dakota only has 9000 teachers in the state. And so, you know, it's a dire situation, especially when we're coming off a pandemic with all of the learning loss.

If we don't have teachers, that's only going to get worse. And so we're very concerned about this teacher shortage. And then we have the additional issue of the ruralness of our state. The vast majority of our state is rural, and there just aren't a lot of things to attract young people to move out to a rural community.

You know, they don't have gyms, they don't have places to meet and gather with other other people. And so it's just, it's an additional burden that we face when filling teacher positions.

Jeremy Rogoff
Yeah, When you think about 613 positions for 9000 teachers, that's almost 7% of the entire teaching population for the state of North Dakota. So that is a huge number. Is that problem felt in particular subject areas, grade levels? Where is it most acutely felt?

Laurie Matzke
So by and large, the greatest area of impact is special education. That is where we're struggling the most to fill positions. And that is true within our school districts. That's also true here at the state level, filling offices in our special education office. So that's our most critical issue. Second to that, another critical area is 9 through 12 science. And so I would say those are two biggest critical areas at the time.

Jeremy Rogoff
Got it. So what what is the solution that North Dakota pursued to try to mitigate some of these teacher shortage issues?

Laurie Matzke
I will give full credit to our Office of Special Education. So it was actually pre-pandemic back in 2019 where they came up with this idea. So it was originated in our office of Special Ed, where they worked with a university and created the very first paraprofessional to teacher pipeline program. And it was very specific to special ed.

So looking within districts that have special education paras and they're halfway there. If they're a para they have some education, so [the department created] a program to fast track them to become a teacher. And it just had such phenomenal success there. There was a waiting list to get into the program. So then along comes the pandemic and we had these state level ESSER funds, and so we decided to use some of these dollars to replicate these programs across the state.

And so we have since funded two more paraprofessional to teacher programs, and they all have a unique specialty. So the first one was special education, and then the second one focused on rural districts, and then the third one was focused on dual licensure. So they would graduate teachers with maybe General Ed, special Ed, General Ed, English learners, General Ed, Early Childhood, for example.

Jeremy Rogoff
And why do you think this program in particular was so attractive to paraprofessionals? You mentioned that they're halfway there, but what are some of the conditions that you put in place to make it work for them?

Laurie Matzke
I think the number one thing that really is appealing about this program is that these are people that are already living in that community. So they are invested there already. And so you don't have that issue of having to attract young people into a small rural community. They obviously like that setting.

They're more likely to stay in that community. And so this this program is very appealing. And then the other thing is it's all online. And so, you know, back in the day, all of these individuals from rural communities would have to travel, work all day and then travel to get to a larger city with the university to go to school, where now it's all online so they can do it from the comfort of their own home.

And so that in addition to being able to fast track it and usually get done in two years, it has just been very positive and very successful.

Jeremy Rogoff
So cost, convenience, making it something that's accessible to them, breaking down barriers for paraprofessionals to become full time teachers. It seems like a win-win for everybody, especially for paraprofessionals that are already invested in the community. Even something that is a win-win can be years in the making to put together, especially at the state level.

Can you talk a little bit about how did this solution come together? What was the process for bringing the right stakeholders together? It sounds like you had a head start with the Office of Special Education, but you know what? How did we bring the right people together to the table to actually scale it?

Laurie Matzke
‍Yeah, and that collaboration piece is critical, especially in a state like North Dakota. We have, I think, the smallest state agency in the nation. We have 72 people in our whole department. And so we have to collaborate in order to get things done. And so this work involved a number of entities where we had to work with our EAP providers, the university system we involved. Our teacher licensing board is actually not part of the department, they're a separate entity. So we worked with our licensing board. We brought in our city staff. They as well are not part of the department. They're their own entity. So we brought them into the loop. After using the ESSER funding, this then kind of blossomed into a registered teacher apprenticeship program, so then we had to bring in the Office of Apprenticeship. We've also used some of our ESSER funding to contract with some entities to help us roll out the program because again, we are so small. And so we found a retired educator. Her name is Dr. Lynn Hammonds, and so she's serving as a liaison in the state. And kind of a communication go-between with our universities and the department.

[I also] can't speak highly enough about a gentleman named David Donaldson. He started the National Center for Grow Your Own Work. And so we also used ESSER funding to partner with him. And he has a lot of expertise in this area. He helped us roll out this program in North Dakota. So it's been a very collaborative process with many, many, many partners.

Jeremy Rogoff
I think I counted seven or eight. So universities, teacher licensure, CTE staff, the Office of Apprenticeship, and then the folks that are experts in not only the coordination of this, but also the actual best practices of creating a program like this. So it's an incredible collaboration of so many different stakeholders. What would you say were some of the challenges that arose in trying to put the program together?

Laurie Matzke
You know, I think the number one challenge was the issue that North Dakota faces like so many other states. Our universities are having declining enrollment. And so here you have this very successful program. But just like any initiative, there's not enough money to go around to everybody. And so it did. There was the competitiveness of the grants. Obviously, our department has to follow procurement rules, so we have to put out everything on a competitive basis.

And so we actually have quite a few of our universities for such a small state. And so it created a little bit of uncomfortable tension and competitiveness amongst our EAP providers. And that has probably been the most difficult -- because we do have very great universities that are very high quality and you would love to be able to fund all of them.

But you know, you put something out, you have enough money to fund two or three. And so that has created some tension within the state.

Jeremy Rogoff
‍So the competitiveness among the actual university programs to vie for the students that you would be funding to become teachers, it sounds like, correct? One of the things that I read, though, was that at least in North Dakota, teacher prep programs have not decreased in enrollment, whereas teacher prep programs across the country have. Is there anything in particular happening in North Dakota when it comes to attracting students to teacher prep programs that you think have made that the case?

Laurie Matzke
Yeah, you know, I think they're starting to be concerned about their enrollment, maybe not in the teacher prep programs, but just their enrollment overall. But I would say that, number one, the quality, you know, the quality of our programs is top notch. I think it's a little bit of a myth, actually -- I can’t stand it when people say nobody wants to go into education anymore because I just I don’t think that’s true.

I think a lot of young people are interested in pursuing a career in education. But when you look at, you know, going to a university for four years and racking up $80 to $100,000 in debt and then trying to pay that off on a teacher's salary? I have friends who are in their sixties who are still paying on their teacher loans.

We need to find ways to make it more affordable. And with these programs that we've created, it's completely tuition free. And therefore these individuals who are interested in pursuing the teaching profession can do so while they continue to work and support their family and get their tuition paid. So that has been a real positive.

Jeremy Rogoff
Yeah. So it goes back to the access piece and you mentioned that it's fully paid for the students. So talk a little bit about the different funding structures. I know you mentioned, ESSER special education. How did it all come together to be fully funded?

Laurie Matzke
So it began, like I said, with that one program that Special Ed initially funded, and they used their state discretionary funding. And then for the other two programs, we used our ESSER dollars. And so now we're in the process of looking to see what other funds we have to sustain this work because the ESSER funds are only going to be with us for about another year and a half.

We've really been in sustainability mode. Fortunately we're in a legislative session right now, and word has gotten out to our legislators about the success of this program. So there is currently a bill in our North Dakota legislative session to provide funding to keep this work going. And we're kind of at halfway point now, and it passed overwhelmingly on the first half.

So hopefully it will be successful in the second half and then we'll have some state dollars, about $3 million to keep this work going. In addition, I mentioned that these these para-to-teacher pathway programs started out with ESSER funds. But then obviously, you've heard Tennessee was the first state to get approved for a teacher apprenticeship program.

And that kind of started a fever across the nation. So we partnered with this David Donaldson at the National Center for Grow Your Own to write North Dakota's application, and we were approved in December of 2022. So now we can pursue apprenticeship funding through the U.S. Department of Labor for these programs. And for the teacher apprenticeship work, we're building on the success of these para-to-teacher pathway programs. So all of our teacher apprenticeship programs will be these part of teacher pathway programs.

Jeremy Rogoff
That's awesome. So can you just talk a little bit more for people that might not be as familiar about the difference between an apprenticeship program and the Grow Your Own program that you've started?

Laurie Matzke
Sure. So the Grow Your Own program, in the future, they will kind of be one and the same. However when we first started them again, we used our ESSER funds and we looked for those individuals who are currently working in a North Dakota school district who are interested in in pursuing and going back to school.

And I guess it didn't have any of those reporting requirements. That's really the big thing with the apprenticeship work. But other than that, they will look very similar. Again, if we're successful in getting the apprenticeship dollars, we're hoping to get all of our EPP's on the approved provider list and then we'll put out a competitive grant to see who actually gets the U.S. Department of Labor funding.

But from there, it will look very similar. They will reach out to the districts, find parents who are interested in continuing to work so that they'll be an apprentice and they'll work in their paraprofessional role while they go back to school to become a licensed teacher. And so they're getting paid by the school district to be a parent, and then the grant is providing the scholarship to go back to school to become a teacher.

Jeremy Rogoff
‍Makes a lot of sense. You hinted at the early signs of success of this program, the impact that it's had, and that that is really what carried the day when you went to the legislature to to propose funding for this. Can you talk about what are the early signs of impact that you're seeing? How do you know that it's successful so that people can ultimately continue to to promote the the effectiveness of it?

Laurie Matzke
Sure. I think the two key signs of success are, number one, the interest level. From the very beginning, there has been a waiting list. And then when we created the second and third programs, they have waiting lists too. So the interest statewide is just phenomenal and it just shows that people are interested in this type of program.

And then probably the number one indicator of success is our first program that was funded with the special ed dollars three years ago -- the first batch they have is now graduated. They are all teaching in North Dakota schools. And then the second round, they are now student teaching. So that is the ultimate symbol of success, that they went through the program, they graduated, they're all staying in North Dakota, working in these North Dakota schools.

Jeremy Rogoff
That's kind of the dream. So have you followed those cohorts of students to hear more about their experience as they enter into school districts in North Dakota?

Laurie Matzke
You know, we have not with the first batch, but that has been something that has been brought to our attention -- that these individuals maybe need some more support their first and second year of teaching. Maybe like a mentoring program. So that has been a recommendation to include in future programs, to just continue to offer that support to them because we know we lose many teachers in those first couple of years.

And again, the rural issue adds another burden where in large communities you have maybe five classrooms of first grade teachers. So you can all plan together and run ideas by each other. In those small rural schools, you're the one and only. You're the only sixth grade teacher. You're the only third grade teacher. So there's not necessarily anybody to collaborate with. So they really need that mentoring and support.

Jeremy Rogoff
I'm nodding my head because I was one of those algebra teachers and Spanish teachers in a rural Arkansas town, and I was one of the teachers who was brought in from out of state because there wasn't the supply of educators from in the state to be able to fill all those positions. And the isolation that you feel as that early career teacher, as the only person in your subject area -- I mean, that's what causes a lot of teachers to leave. So it's great to hear that you're already thinking about how to build that community for them and that they're already invested in the community itself. So it seems it seems like it could have a really strong long-term ROI. 

I think the one area that folks might have questions about is just about rigor and quality. When people hear online programs or they hear, you know, more access. What do you think about when it comes to maintaining the rigor of a program while also making it something that people can easily access while doing their day jobs?

Laurie Matzke
You know, I feel very comfortable that the rigor is there. As I said, our teacher licensing board, which is referred to as SPV, they all these programs have to be approved by them. And there's a detailed process they have to go through and be reviewed. Right now we're in the process of putting out communication to all of our EAP providers, maybe 13, and not all of them have an approved online program currently.

So if they are interested in doing this kind of work in the future, they're going to have to go through that rigorous process of getting approved. And so, you know, we we have a pretty strong, well-established process to submit information and be approved by our Education Standards and Practices Board before they can provide that program.

Jeremy Rogoff
As we close out and you think about folks that might be listening to this podcast -- they might be state leaders or district leaders that are interested in exploring this pathway, What advice do you have for getting started and for any bumps that they might anticipate down the road?

Laurie Matzke
A couple of things come to mind. You know, number one, I think it's always great to replicate successful practices that are going on across the nation. And that's why I think this podcast that you're doing is is so great, because all of the states are dealing with this issue right now. And that's why you see so many states applying for a registered teacher apprenticeship program, and great things are happening.

And so anyone who is not started this process yet, I would encourage them to reach out and talk to programs that have gone through the work and are established so they don't reinvent the wheel. [Look for] a pathway that somebody else has already created and weeded out all the bops. So, research successful practices that are already in place.

And then an issue that's been brought to our attention is that now with all of these parents that are moving into teacher programs, there's a shortage of paras. So, just something for a district personnel to think about is that we have to also find ways to continually be encouraging individuals to become paras and to get that associate's degree so that they can go on to become teachers.

You know, it's kind of cyclical. So we've got to keep those para positions filled as well.

Jeremy Rogoff
Some of the unintended consequences of a of a new program. But that seems like another pipeline that can be built in a similar type of capacity. Laurie Matzke, thank you so much for joining us on The Best of Us. How can folks who are interested in what you're doing get in touch with you?

Laurie Matzke
Yeah, I would love to. I'll help anyone answer any questions and share resources. We've put together MOUs that we have the university sign that kind of detail everybody's responsibilities. So anyone interested can certainly reach out to me by email, just lmatzke@nd.gov, and I'd be happy to answer any questions.

‍

‍