Teacher Residencies Focusing on District Partnerships for Teacher Recruitment and Retention

Teacher residencies are emerging as a significant and increasingly established pathway for recruiting, preparing, and retaining PK-12 teachers across the United States, with more than 20 states adopting residency-based models. These programs are built on strong, sustained partnerships between teacher preparation providers and school districts or charter networks, ensuring alignment between training and classroom needs. Typically, teacher residents engage in year-long, paid clinical experiences while committing to serve in their partner schools or districts for a specified period after completion. This model emphasizes practice-based preparation, mentorship, and long-term workforce stability. In this context, there is a growing need for comprehensive guidance on designing and implementing high-quality teacher residency programs that effectively engage key stakeholders, including policymakers, higher education institutions, school leaders, mentor teachers, and residents themselves. Teacher Residency District Partnerships for Teacher Recruitment and Preparation provides a detailed review of teacher residencies in the state of New Mexico, serving as a foundation to inform national and international applications. This book examines their overall importance and explores how these programs have expanded statewide through targeted legislative support and funding initiatives. Covering topics such as administrative dimensions, special education, and teacher recruitment and preparation, this book is an indispensable academic resource for graduate and doctoral students, teacher education faculty, education policy researchers, state education agency leaders, district administrators, charter school leaders, residency program coordinators, policymakers, and more.