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Tom Fletcher serves as the principal of Ronald Reagan Elementary School in Yuma, Ariz. Reagan Elementary has begun to implement Next Education Workforce team-based staffing models, which has required buy-in from educators, students and parents, as well as some creative problem solving.

The 2024 speaker lineup for the 2024 Strategic School Staffing Summit includes nearly 100 researchers, educators, school and system leaders. Cindy Marten, the 11th United States Deputy Secretary of Education, will deliver the keynote.

Leaders from Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College presented at the Aurora Institute Symposium 2023, sharing how equitable learning outcomes require systemic innovation across three levels: the science of learning, instructional practice and organizational design.

Next Education Workforce™ site visits give leaders across the educational landscape who are interested in exploring and implementing team-based staffing models an opportunity to see them in action. Attendees are also able to speak directly with principals and educators who have designed team-based models for their specific context and attend educator and student panels.

The Strategic School Staffing Summit hosted by the Next Education Workforce™ is inviting proposals for live, virtual sessions on Feb. 7–8, 2024.

In school districts across the country, paraeducators may be referred to as teacher aides, teacher assistants or instructional aides. They’re all individuals who work in schools under the supervision of a licensed educator and provide support to teachers and students. They may work with students to reinforce learning, implement behavior intervention plans or work closely with school nurses to support students’ medical needs. They may lead small reading groups or assist in planning mini-lessons with their lead teacher. Some are working towards becoming licensed educators. In Arizona and states around the country, they might also be a part of a Next Education Workforce ™ team-based models, where their skills are strengthened through collaboration.