From Classroom Support to Classroom Leader
How Philadelphia is helping paraprofessionals become teachers—and strengthening the future of the educator pipeline in the process
Every day in Philadelphia schools, paraprofessionals help students learn, grow, and succeed.
They work alongside teachers to support students one-on-one, lead small groups, help manage classrooms, and build strong relationships with children and families. Many paraprofessionals are from the same neighborhoods as the students they serve. They know their schools, understand their communities, and already have a deep commitment to helping young people thrive.
That is what makes paraprofessionals such powerful future teachers: they already bring the trust, experience, and dedication that schools need in the next generation of educators.
The Impact for Students, Schools, and Philadelphia
Through the School District of Philadelphia’s Pathways to Teaching program—supported by Elevate 215 and the Philadelphia Citywide Talent Coalition—paraprofessionals and other school staff can earn the credentials they need, often including a bachelor’s degree–to become certified teachers while continuing to work in schools.
Over the past two years, 137 people have completed the program and today, 120 of them are teaching in Philadelphia schools.
“This is about recognizing the talent that already exists in our schools and creating a pathway for those educators to lead their own classrooms,” said Dr. Michael Farrell, Chief Learning Officer at the School District of Philadelphia. “When paraprofessionals become teachers, students get the opportunity to learn from educators who know their communities, schools strengthen their pipeline of dedicated talent, and Philadelphia moves closer to ensuring every child has access to a quality teacher.”
For students, schools, and the city, that means more teachers who know their communities, stronger staffing in hard-to-fill classrooms, and a more sustainable teacher pipeline for Philadelphia’s future.
Making the Path to Teaching More Affordable
“One of the biggest barriers to becoming a teacher that we are seeing across Philadelphia is cost. Tuition and unpaid student teaching can make the path out of reach for many aspiring educators. The Pathways to Teaching program is changing that,” said Scott Gaiber, Deputy Chief of Talent Initiatives at Elevate 215.
To be eligible for the program, participants must be in a non-teaching role that is represented by Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT), not certified, and must commit to remain with the School District of Philadelphia in a teacher role for a minimum of two years upon program completion.
Participants receive financial support that helps make becoming a certified teacher more affordable. Partnerships with Community College of Philadelphia, Holy Family University, LaSalle University and Lincoln University create clear, flexible routes from an associate degree to a bachelor’s degree and teacher certification. The program also provides salary and benefits for participants during student teaching, allowing them to continue supporting themselves and their families while completing their training.
Gaiber added, “Those supports do more than help people earn a degree and certification—they create real economic opportunity.”
As participants become certified teachers, they move into careers with higher salaries (doubling pay within 1 to 2 years for some!), greater stability, and more opportunities for long-term growth. That economic mobility strengthens not only the lives of the educators themselves, but puts their families on an entirely different economic trajectory for years to come, all the while benefiting the schools and communities they serve.
Funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, the paraprofessional work is part of Elevate 215’s broader strategy to strengthen the educator pipeline across Philadelphia. Through the Philadelphia Citywide Talent Coalition, Elevate 215 brings together school systems, colleges, nonprofits, public agencies, and philanthropy to create more pathways into teaching and make the profession more accessible.