Building Nevada’s Future: How One Project is Assessing How to Strengthen the PK-20 Teacher Pipeline to Meet Future Workforce Needs
04/28/2025
By Jessica Zimmerman for the UNLV National Institute for the Advancement of Education (NIAE)
Dr. Brenda Pearson, a seasoned expert with over 20 years of experience in public education and the Director of Strategic Policy Initiatives for the Clark County Education Association, has collaborated with colleagues to publish a new paper focused on a project for strengthening Nevada’s teacher pipeline.
The project, “Strengthening Nevada’s PK-20 Teacher Pipeline: An Assessment to Meet Workforce Projections,” sought to understand the current trends for Nevada’s P-20 student-to-teacher pipeline and provide policy recommendations to enhance the pipeline, aligning it with the state’s projected workforce needs.
“With an annual projected increase of 20% more PK-12 teachers needed in southern Nevada and annual vacancy rate of over 1,000 teachers, Clark County School District (CCSD) will need to fill over 3,000 positions annually,” the paper states.
To address the growing need for teachers, a CTE Teaching and Training program was launched in 2017. This program was intended to “help establish a pipeline of future teachers to bridge the gap.” However, as the paper states, despite enrollment numbers growing since its inception, “the number of students completing one to two years of this program has steadily decreased to 540 students.” Why?
The researchers sought to investigate the resilience of Southern Nevada’s PK-20 teacher pipeline and explore the factors into why students were leaving the program. Based on findings, the researchers developed policy recommendations to help strengthen the teacher pipeline to support a robust future workforce.
Teacher Academy College Pathway Program
CTE programs in general help students and adults develop the skills necessary to be successful in a variety of careers, teaching being one of them.
“I think one of the big benefits of CTE programs is that it exposes and allows students to explore multiple careers to see where their passion lies,” Dr. Pearson said. “But, then that exploration needs to shift into a career pathway, which is what we created with Assembly Bill 428.”
In the 82nd Nevada Legislative session, CCEA worked with Assemblywoman Shea Backus to pass the bill and create a teacher pipeline. Part of Assembly Bill 428 was creating a seamless P-20 pathway for students aspiring to join the teaching profession: the Teacher Academy College Pathway Program.
The bill stated that each large school district in the state would offer a teacher pathway program at every high school in the school district to prepare them for employment in K-12 education professions, and give equitable opportunities for all students in Nevada to enter the profession.
The Teacher Academy College Pathway contains three main components:
- Students complete a CTE teaching and training program in high school.
- They participate in an internship opportunity where students gain valuable real-world experiences on what it’s like to be a teacher.
- Students are offered dual enrollment opportunities where they can accrue coursework credit which will help save time and money as they progress toward their teaching career.
“This really gears up the students for then moving into higher education, where they are offered the opportunity to remain in Nevada, attend a state university or college, and receive tuition abatement upon completion of the program, as well as be a full-time, licensed teacher at a public school in the state for three consecutive years,” Dr. Pearson said. “Participants who complete the program also receive guaranteed opportunities for employment within CCSD or the state of Nevada.”
Once these teachers begin their employment, the goal would be for them to enter into the National Board Mentorship Program that is being piloted through CCEA. “They can pursue the National Board, increase their salary, and really hone their skills early in their career,” Dr. Pearson said.
As these students transition into teaching roles, they can fill the vacancies that CCSD is projected to have in the coming years while also forming a dedicated pool of educators who understand and can meet the needs of the community.
“This pipeline is a long-term solution for a problem we face every year. By investing in our own students and providing them with a clear pathway to becoming successful teachers, we are producing the next generation of Nevada educators who are invested in staying and thriving in the state they call home,” Dr. Pearson said.
Teacher Pipeline Study
Researchers of the study presented in the paper incorporated quantitative and qualitative analyses to examine academic preparedness of enrolled students, as well as their needs and motivations, and identify gaps or weaknesses in matriculation through the pipeline. The goal was to determine why students are choosing to leave the program.
They utilized data from the Nevada P-20 to Workforce Research (NPWR) Data System for the quantitative portion and information from interviews with students, past NSHE graduates, and teachers in CTE programs for the qualitative portion.
The study identified three primary challenges of retention and matriculation within the CTE program:
- Student Placement Methods – many students were placed in the teaching program when they couldn’t be assigned to their preferred program.
- Academic Preparedness – students lacked the necessary preparedness or motivation to pass the End of Course exam.
- Engaging Opportunities – they found a lack of engaging opportunities in and outside of the classroom.
Despite these challenges, the study found several strengths of the current CTE Teaching and Training program, including the diversity of students in the program, the quality of the teacher instructing the program, school choice options for students, and a strong and consistent interest in pursuing education as a major in higher education.
Legislative Momentum
The “Strengthening Nevada’s PK-20 Teacher Pipeline: An Assessment to Meet Workforce Projections,” project revealed several policy recommendations on how to strengthen the teacher pipeline through legislation, some of which will be proposed during the 83rd Nevada Legislative Session.
CCEA has been instrumental in championing Assembly Bill 428 and advocating for its effective implementation. “We want to ensure every student has a quality program and we do that by making sure the law can be implemented appropriately,” Dr. Pearson said. “We’re invested in making sure that our community and our teachers are giving our students the best opportunities we can.”
CCSD educators have the opportunity to join CCEA, gaining access to many benefits, including the ability to shape legislation. “We’ve had some historic wins over the last legislative sessions, where we have been able to change the face of what education is in our state,” Dr. Pearson said. “CCEA makes a difference in our community because of our dedicated members, ensuring that our voices are heard and represented at the legislature.”
CCEA negotiates and defends on behalf of the teachers on important items like benefits, compensation, and employment conditions. “When educators have a say, locally, and at the state level, in shaping their profession, they’re going to be more invested in their jobs. When they are more invested in their jobs, it leads to increased retention and a stronger, more dedicated workforce,” Dr. Pearson said.
The content of this article is produced in collaboration with the faculty, research, practitioner, and community partners featured herein and the National Institute for the Advancement of Education (NIAE), an interdisciplinary institute housed at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) College of Education that engages in interdisciplinary research-practice-policy efforts that transform PK-20 education through innovation, excellence, evidence, and equity.
For more information about NIAE, visit niae.sites.unlv.edu.
