Next Education Workforce

The Next Education Workforce model, developed by Arizona State University’s (ASU) Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, was designed to provide more personalized learning to students and to support educators with stronger pathways to enter the teaching profession, specialize, and ultimately advance in their profession.

The Next Education Workforce model differentiates responsibility based on each educator’s unique skill set. For instance, one teacher may be responsible for planning and teaching mathematics, while another may be responsible for science instruction. An extended team member may be brought in to provide tutoring support or to teach an elective. The core team of educators, typically under the direction of a lead teacher, uses data to group students and provide instruction and interventions in a flexible learning environment where one portion of the class may be learning social studies while another is receiving a literacy intervention.

School buildings are designed to accommodate the model with varying levels of intensity. On the high end, buildings are designed and constructed with the model in mind, including larger classrooms with multiple wings or foldable walls, while schools built before implementation of the model may require students to physically move to new spaces or have teachers rotate between multiple classrooms. Scheduling is designed to minimize disruptions to student learning and ensure all students are being adequately supported, while also providing educators with the flexibility to take time away from the classroom if needed without sacrificing student learning or requiring additional substitute teachers.¹