My Story From Dean to Craft
Although I now serve as Head of Apprenticeship Degrees and Instructional Innovation for Craft Education, it’s the nearly two decades I spent as a teacher, instructional coach, and mentor that keep me focused on what matters most: building a teaching pipeline that is both viable and learner-ready. In under-resourced communities in South Louisiana, I saw firsthand the difference preparation makes. When teachers enter classrooms confident and equipped, students thrive. When preparation falls short, students fall behind, colleagues scramble to cover gaps, and communities lose ground when educators leave because they feel they have no other choice.
America can only keep its promise of a high-quality education for every child, regardless of zip code, by ensuring highly skilled teachers are both teaching and staying where they’re needed most. That requires pairing innovation with rigor, expanding access without lowering standards, and giving every educator the preparation they deserve.
This balance is critical because the world our students enter today isn’t the one we prepared teachers for a decade ago. Demands are higher, tools more complex, and opportunities are limitless. Students carry infinite potential, but that potential is only realized when guided by educators who are deeply prepared and unafraid to innovate alongside them.
As a former Dean of a teachers college, I know how difficult it is to balance urgency with excellence. Expanding access while sustaining quality is no small task, and accreditation adds another layer of complexity. Organizations like CAEP and AAQEP set the bar for rigor, equity, and continuous improvement. Meeting those expectations while reimagining preparation requires both steadfastness and innovation.
This is where Craft comes in. Apprenticeship degrees hold extraordinary promise to expand access, but unless they are designed with the evidence-based preparation CAEP and AAQEP require, they risk becoming another leaky pipeline. Craft partners with accredited programs to ensure apprenticeship pathways embody the rigor, structure, and alignment to standards that define excellence in teacher preparation.
How Craft Helps
- Quality & More Access: Apprenticeship degrees that meet the highest standards, ensuring candidates are classroom-ready.
- Rigor with Relevance: Practice-rich, standards-aligned preparation so graduates feel confident.
- Accreditor-Aligned: Translating CAEP and AAQEP standards into tools and systems that make reporting seamless.
- Data that Drives Impact: Real-time data to identify gaps and tell a compelling story.
- Retention Through Preparation: Teachers who feel ready are more likely to stay, strengthening equity and stability.
CAEP-and AAQEP-accredited programs have long demonstrated their commitment to excellence. Craft extends that commitment into the apprenticeship era, ensuring access and rigor rise together. And when we get this right, the impact ripples far beyond accreditation reports into classrooms, schools, and communities where every child in America can count on a highly skilled teacher by their side.
