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City Teaching Alliance’s

FY2027 STRATEGIC PLAN Advancing with Purpose.

Building What Lasts.

cityteachingalliance.org

TABLE OF CONTENTS

City Teaching Alliance has given me the chance to connect theory with real classroom practice and to better understand what it means to teach with equity, purpose, and care. It has helped me build the foundation for the educator I am becoming and has strengthened my commitment to using education as a way to make a meaningful difference in students' lives.

ROMARIO CRUZ, COHORT 2025

Letter from the CEO

Letter fom the Board Chair

Who We Are

Our Signature Approach

The C.A.R.E Philosophy

What We Do

Our Influence

By The Numbers

The Five Year Committment

The Roadmap to 2032

Three-Year Strategic Priorities

Four Strategic Pillars

Moving Forward, Together

LETTER FROM OUR CEO Dr. Rahesha Amon To our City Teaching Alliance Community, Having served in educational leadership roles for nearly three decades, I believe education has arrived at a precipice. As educators, we face a critical moment of transition and transformation. We are too big to fail, and yet every indicator suggests our education system could be on the verge of collapse.

Since its inception in 2010, City Teaching Alliance has continued the important work of strengthening not only our programs but the foundation of our organization. During this time, we have navigated a rapidly evolving educational landscape while asking difficult but necessary questions about impact, sustainability, execution, and the future of our work. Our leadership team, Board of Directors, and greater Alliance have spent months reflecting and exploring: What does the quantitative data tell us? How do we effectively use qualitative, observational, and anecdotal data? Using an equity lens, how do we determine what is true? How do we incorporate the voices of key stakeholders? How do we balance what our stakeholders need with our institutional mission if there is misalignment? What must we strengthen, refine, or rethink to deepen our impact and build an institution that reshapes education for future generations? Our theme—Advancing with Purpose. Building What Lasts.—reflects both the responsibility and opportunity before us.

This plan reflects our commitment to strengthening workforce pathways for educators through rigorous preparation, coaching, credentialing support, leadership development, care-centered practices, and the wraparound services adults need to enter, thrive, and remain committed to the profession. Educator development must be both high-quality and deeply human-centered, and lasting change requires collaboration across schools, districts, communities, and universities. It must engage across silos, including philanthropy, workforce development, and local, state, and national government. It requires listening deeply to educators and learners with a willingness to adapt, innovate, and respond thoughtfully. As we look toward our 2032 objectives, City Teaching Alliance aspires to be an organization that not only prepares educators to enter the profession but also helps them remain, lead, and thrive within schools and communities over time. Because ultimately, this work is about ensuring learners and communities are supported by exceptional, well-prepared educators for generations to come. Onward, Forward,

Dr. Rahesha Amon, CEO

LETTER FROM OUR BOARD CHAIR Sekou Biddle To our committed partners,

This strategic plan reflects City Teaching Alliance’s commitment to meeting this critical moment of transition and transformation with clarity, rigor, and long-term vision. From the Board’s perspective, strategic planning is an important act of stewardship. It requires honest reflection about where we are today, precision about where we aspire to go, and discipline about the choices and investments necessary to achieve meaningful, sustainable impact over time. Throughout this planning process, Board members engaged alongside staff, fellows, alumni, and partners to consider both the opportunities and challenges facing City Teaching Alliance in the context of the broader educational landscape. Several themes emerged consistently throughout those conversations: The importance of strengthening educator pathways, expanding strategic partnerships Investing in organizational infrastructure and increasing financial sustainability Deepening the organization’s visibility and influence within the field of educator preparation and workforce development. Importantly, this plan reflects a clear understanding that long-term impact requires operational discipline, measurable outcomes, financial stewardship, strong leadership, and a willingness to evolve thoughtfully.

Over the past two years, Dr. Rahesha Amon has led City Teaching Alliance with intentionality, discipline, and a clear commitment to strengthening both organizational foundations and long-term sustainability. She has challenged the organization to ask important questions about impact, accountability, operational excellence, and future readiness while remaining deeply grounded in mission and community. This plan also reflects shared responsibility. The Board has a responsibility to steward the organization’s long-term health and sustainability. Leadership has a responsibility to execute this strategy with focus, alignment, and accountability. Staff, partners, fellows, alumni, and stakeholders all play an important role in carrying this work forward with purpose and commitment. Together, we believe City Teaching Alliance is wellpositioned to continue strengthening educator workforce pathways in all communities while expanding its role as a nationally recognized, care-centered organization committed to excellence, innovation, partnership, and impact. On behalf of the Board of Directors, thank you to the many stakeholders whose insights, partnership, and dedication helped shape this strategic plan and the future it represents. We look forward to the work ahead. With confidence and commitment,

Sekou Biddle, Chair, Board of Directors

WHO WE ARE City Teaching Alliance is a mission‑driven educator workforce development organization answering the national call for talent with an excellence‑driven, care‑centered approach. We serve diverse communities across urban, suburban, rural, and select international contexts, working alongside districts, universities, and community partners to build and sustain a strong, diverse career educator workforce.

EMPOWERING EDUCATORS, TRANSFOMRING FUTURES

As an alliance of former teachers, school leaders, and education experts, we exist to improve academic and life outcomes for all learners. Through multiple pathways and models tailored to the communities in which educators live and work, we provide the preparation, coaching, and wraparound supports that make it possible for talented adults to enter the teaching profession, grow within it, and remain in education over the long term. We are changing what is possible for students in classrooms, one exceptional teacher at a time. Students deserve a career educator who knows them, believes in them, and is committed to their success. When you empower and invest in teachers, communities transform for the better.

What We Believe Grounding in Equity

Investing in Educators

Aligning Pathways

A strong, diverse education workforce is essential to a just and thriving society.

Investing deeply in educators through comprehensive preparation, ongoing care‑centered care ‑centered support, and strong professional communities creates the conditions for students’ academic success, personal growth, and long‑term long ‑term opportunity.

By linking education to employment and aligning preparation with real workforce needs, we can grow local teacher pipelines and advance educational equity, economic mobility, and stronger communities.

The calling is differentiation and scaffolding that doesn't take away from the integrity of the standard. The main thing I learned from City Teaching Alliance is to be responsive to my students' needs. To teach using what they understand and what interests them, and that every student gets what they need.

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WHO WE ARE

JAEL KEYES, COHORT 2023

Vision

Mission

We envision a world where every school community is led by thriving, well‑resourced, highly qualified career educators who are empowered to make a lasting impact on all learners while flourishing in their careers.

City Teaching Alliance identifies, prepares, and retains exceptional career educators who are empowered and equipped to make a lasting impact on the academic and life outcomes of all learners.

This vision looks beyond near‑term staffing needs to a future in which educator pipelines are durable, students experience consistently excellent teaching, and school communities are strengthened by stable, well‑supported educators across diverse geographies.

This mission underscores our dual role as both a preparation provider and a long‑term workforce development partner, linking rigorous training and coaching with sustained impact in classrooms and communities.

Theory of Change If we recruit, develop, and retain effective career educators through rigorous preparation, coaching & mentorship, coursework, certification, clinical placement, and care‑centered care ‑centered support, then we will cultivate a thriving alliance of education leaders who drive meaningful academic and life outcomes for all learners. At every level, our work is about building and sustaining the people, pathways, and partnerships that make lasting educational impact possible.

OUR SIGNATURE APPROACH

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City Teaching Alliance’s excellence‑driven Signature Approach is grounded in the “5Cs” and designed to prepare educators through an integrated model of coaching & mentoring, coursework, certification, clinical placement, and care. Our approach is designed not only to prepare educators for the classroom today, but also to support them as long‑term professionals and future leaders within the education ecosystem. While the Signature Approach remains the foundation of our model, we are evolving additional pathways and innovative workforce development models that respond to changing educator and community needs across urban, suburban, rural, and select international contexts. These pathways include residency and apprenticeship models, paraprofessional routes, alternative certification opportunities, leadership development experiences, and other emerging approaches that strengthen educator recruitment, preparation, retention, and long‑term career success.

COURSEWORK

COACHING & MENTORING CLINICAL PLACEMENT

CERTIFICATION

CARE

The C.A.R.E. Philosophy Our Signature Approach has long been grounded in the 5Cs: Coaching & Mentoring, Coursework, Certification, Clinical Placement, and Community. But educators need more than connection alone to thrive in today’s classrooms. The C.A.R.E. Philosophy evolves our fifth C — expanding Community to include the Advocacy, Resources, and Empowerment educators need to build sustainable careers. CARE reflects our belief that supporting educators as whole people is essential to strengthening pathways, improving retention, and advancing leadership.

In five years, I envision myself as a teacher-leader within Baltimore City Public Schools, continuing to advocate for equitable, communitycentered education. The program equipped me with the pedagogical tools and the deep, localized focus required to be an effective, resilient urban educator in Baltimore.

THE C.A.R.E. PHILOSOPHY

KOFI ADJAYE ADEASE, COHORT 2024

C.A.R.E. is the connective tissue across every pathway and every stage of how City Teaching Alliance develops and supports educators.

Community Through cohort experiences, affinity groups, professional learning, and peer mentoring, we build the connections that sustain them. The result: educators who feel supported, seen, and part of something larger.

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Advocacy We help educators navigate systems, elevate their voices, and own their careers. Through coaching, certification support, and leadership opportunities, they gain the tools to advocate for themselves and others. The result: educators with the agency to shape the profession.

Resources We provide the tools, services, and supports educators need to succeed professionally and sustain themselves personally. From mental health and financial wellness to certification resources and employment supports, we meet educators where they are. The result: educators equipped to thrive — in the classroom and in life.

Empowerment We develop the leadership capacity and confidence educators need to create lasting impact. Through coaching, thought leadership, and alumni opportunities, they grow into changemakers. The result: educators who see themselves as leaders.

WHAT WE DO We know what it takes to lead a classroom, because most of us have done it. That lived experience is what drives everything we build at City Teaching Alliance, and it's why districts trust us to help solve their hardest workforce challenges. We recruit, prepare, and retain educators whose backgrounds reflect the communities they serve; supporting them as whole people through our Signature Approach, connecting them to long-term career pathways, and developing them into the school and district leaders their communities need most. When districts face challenges that go beyond preparation, our consulting team, former teachers and leaders themselves, shows up as expert thought partners.

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We are, at our core, a mission‑driven educator workforce development organization.

From Preparation to Leadership PREPARE

RETAIN

THOUGHT PARTNER

Signature Model

Leadership Development

Talent Acquisition Consulting

Paraprofessional Model

Employment Services

Instructional Coaching

Accelerated Model

Care-centered Support

Professional Learning Design

High School to Teacher Model

Long-term Retention Strategy

Full-Service Recruitment

OUR INFLUENCE We connect our fellows directly to different career pathways in education through employment, leadership development, retention strategies, and long‑term career sustainability in partnership with districts, universities, and community organizations. Together, we increase accessibility in the first few years and beyond, so educators can grow as instructional and organizational leaders.

We connect our fellows directly to career pathways in education through employment, leadership development, retention strategies, and long‑term career sustainability in partnership with districts, universities, and community organizations.

EMPOWERING EDUCATORS, TRANSFOMRING FUTURES

Together, we increase accessibility in the first few years and beyond, so educators can grow as instructional and organizational leaders. The true measure of a teacher preparation program isn't who enters the classroom — it's who stays. Year after year, 81% of our alumni remain in education, leading classrooms, mentoring peers, and building careers that change lives for decades. Currently, over 20% of our Year 3 and Year 4 fellows hold formal leadership positions, with a goal of 25% of all alumni in leadership within five years of completing the program. Our partnerships reflect that same long-term commitment. In 2024–25, 49% of principals

rated City Teaching Alliance as responsive to their hiring needs, and the majority identified themselves as active promoters of our work. Beginning in AY2026–27, we will begin collecting student outcome data with our district partners. This data will allow us to draw a direct line from educator development to student outcomes.

BY THE NUMBERS

Being part of City Teaching Alliance has shaped me by forcing me to become highly adaptable; however, it has also taught me the critical importance of self-advocacy and the need for structural support when institutional changes threaten a teacher's professional path.

JEZELLE COOPER, COHORT 2024

The momentum for City Teaching Alliance is real. Applications have increased by 81% since 2023, and the fellows we select are staying longer, leading sooner, and performing at record levels. More educators are choosing us, and ones we develop are proving what's possible when preparation, support, and care meet.

95%+

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placed in teaching/education roles within 1 year (Cohorts 2018–2021)

60%

Of Cohort 2026 fellows, came from their placement region

97%

Of fellows met end-of-year benchmarks in SY2025–26

90% Of first-year fellows met or exceeded the Teacher Performance Rubric

6,539

Applicants since 2022

THE FIVE-YEAR COMMITTMENT By 2032, City Teaching Alliance will be recognized as a leading force in educator workforce development — a trusted standard for how career educators are recruited, prepared, and sustained.

EMPOWERING EDUCATORS, TRANSFOMRING FUTURES

We envision a fiscally strong, care-centered organization expanded beyond our current cities into urban, suburban, rural, and select international contexts, while remaining rooted in community needs — known for preparing exceptional educators, accelerating growth at every career stage, and equipping partners to do the same. City Teaching Alliance will function as a true alliance: a collaborative partner and convener of districts, universities, nonprofits, and crosssector leaders. Our influence will be felt in classrooms, partnerships, and national conversations shaping the future of teaching — with thoughtful integration of AI expanding access to preparation and coaching without losing the human relationships at our core. What changes is not only our scale, but our stance: a durable institution and lifelong professional home for educators, and a visible proof point that excellent, sustainable educator pathways are possible.

Our Five-Year Theme Advancing with Purpose means staying grounded in our mission while evolving in response to workforce realities, emerging technologies, and the communities we serve.

Building What Lasts means prioritizing operational discipline, durable partnerships, financial sustainability, and long-term institutional strength over shortterm solutions.

THE ROADMAP TO 2032 Three strategic priorities define what we are working to accomplish over the next five years. Four pillars define how we will get there, providing a clear roadmap for investment, accountability, and action. Together, they guide how we allocate resources, measure progress, and build for long-term impact.

Priority 1: Strengthen and Diversify the Educator Pipeline

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Pillar 1: Care-Centered Workforce Development

Pillar 2: Organizational Sustainability

Pillar 3: Partnerships & Ecosystem Leadership

Pillar 4: Innovation, Research & Future

Priority 2: Elevate a CareCentered, TechEnabled Model of Support

Priority 3: Build Institutional Durability and Alliance-Driven Impact

THREE-YEAR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES The following strategic priorities define our focus for 2026–2029, laying the groundwork for our 2032 vision. We enter this period with conviction and an inquiry stance; clear on our mission, and committed to asking hard questions: What do we know? What is true versus aspirational? Which assumptions must be tested? We will treat these priorities as disciplined tests of our best hypotheses, using data, feedback, and tools like AI, all while keeping human relationships at the center. By 2029, we expect a clearer evidence base about which elements of our model drive recruitment, retention, and impact, and a growing body of work that keeps us accountable to the educators, students, and communities we serve.

EMPOWERING EDUCATORS, TRANSFOMRING FUTURES

1. Strengthen and Diversify the Educator Pipeline A strong, diverse pipeline is the foundation everything else depends on. We will deepen recruitment, expand pathways for paraprofessionals and career changers, and build clearer onramps across contexts. If we invest in targeted recruitment and flexible pathways, we will increase the volume, diversity, and readiness of candidates entering the profession.

2. Elevate a Care-Centered, TechEnabled Model of Support The next three years are our opportunity to tighten quality and responsibly integrate innovation. We will strengthen our 5Cs, make care-centered supports more visible, and leverage AI to enhance, not replace, human relationships. If we improve our core model and integrate technology thoughtfully, educators will feel more prepared and stay longer.

3. Build Institutional Durability and Alliance-Driven Impact Lasting impact requires financial health and partnerships that outlast any single grant cycle. We will diversify revenue, deepen district and university partnerships, and invest in research infrastructure. If we align our financial model and treat partnerships as shared enterprises, City Teaching Alliance will be more resilient and influential across the ecosystem.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE BY 2029 1. Strengthen and Diversify the Educator Pipeline Success looks like growth without compromise: cohorts larger than our FY26 baseline of 165 fellows, with quality holding steady or improving. Cohorts will remain majority educators of color, with a growing share entering through paraprofessional and non-traditional pathways. Partner districts will continue placing 100% of our fellows, and will call our pipeline a reliable, high-quality source of career educators.

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2. Elevate a Care-Centered, Tech-Enabled Model of Support Fellows and alumni will still call City Teaching Alliance a source of targeted, constructive, actionable feedback. More of them will say they feel prepared, supported, and part of a care-centered community. Certification and completion rates will hold strong or improve, with 1- and 3-year retention above today's baselines even as cohorts grow and diversify. Educators and staff will point to a small number of clearly defined AI and digital tools that genuinely improve preparation, coaching, and instructional practice, withthout weakening the human relationships at the center of our model.

3. Build Institutional Durability and Alliance-Driven Impact City Teaching Alliance will have a more diversified, resilient financial model: a healthier balance across philanthropic, earned, and contract revenue, with reserves that let us navigate funding shifts without disrupting core work. We'll deepen our alliances with districts, CMOs, universities, and community partners through multi-year strategic partnerships, where we co-design, consult, and convene, not just as a program provider. Stronger internal systems and research capacity will show up as consistent impact reporting and a growing body of published learning. Board members, staff, and partners will increasingly describe us the same way: a durable institution built to plan beyond a single grant cycle.

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FOUR STRATEGIC PILLARS These four pillars define where City Teaching Alliance will focus its energy, resources, and accountability from 2026–2029. Together, they detail how we will strengthen educator pathways, build a more sustainable organization, grow our partnerships, and position ourselves for long-term impact. At the center is Care-Centered Educator Workforce Development: preparing educators through rigorous training, coaching, credentialing support, and wraparound services. Supporting people as whole humans is what turns someone who enters the profession into someone who stays. That work depends on Organizational Sustainability and Excellence — the financial health, operational systems, and leadership capacity to sustain our mission — and on Partnerships, Influence, and Ecosystem Leadership with districts, universities, philanthropy, and community organizations. Innovation, Research, and Future Readiness keeps us ahead of a rapidly changing field and grows our national voice.

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02 01 Care-Centered Educator Workforce Development Preparing, supporting, and retaining educators through carecentered pathways.

Organizational Sustainability & Excellence Building financial, operational, and leadership strength that lasts.

Partnerships, Influence, and Ecosystem Leadership Growing partnerships and influence across education and workforce sectors.

Innovation, Research, and Future Readiness Innovating, researching, and preparing for the future of education.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE BY 2029 Pillar 1: Care-Centered Educator Workforce Development This pillar sits at the core of our mission and theory of change and closes the gap between who gets to teach and who gets to learn by recruiting diverse, mission-aligned educators, preparing them rigorously, and sustaining them as long-term professionals and leaders. Cohort grows from 165 to ~200 fellows: 70–75% from underrepresented backgrounds, 65–70% from local communities/paraprofessional roles Early-career retention rises from 80% to 83–85% at year 3; 1-year retention holds at 80%+ 95–100% report actionable feedback; 85–90% report feeling well prepared and supported

Pillar 2: Organizational Sustainability & Excellence

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Lasting impact requires an organization that can weather policy and funding shifts, invest confidently in what works, and support staff with the same care it extends to educators. Revenue more diversified and predictable than in 2026, with reserves/financial position strong enough for multi-year planning; budgets clearly reflect strategic priorities Staff experiences clearer roles/structures, more reliable systems and data, and a culture supporting engagement, growth, and retention

Pillar 3: Partnerships, Influence, and Ecosystem Leadership Our impact multiplies when partners see us not just as a program provider, but as a thought partner and standard-setter in educator workforce development. Our partnerships grow deeper: more durable, and more central to how we work, more multi-year strategic agreements, more fellows placed through those alliances Strong, mission-aligned network across districts, CMOs, universities, and community orgs, plus select consulting/technical assistance engagements Recognized as a credible, consistent voice in the ecosystem and exceeding benchmarks for speaking engagements, media presence, and publications; EDs and Chiefs regularly represent us nationally Host or co-host convenings bringing partners together around care-centered educator development and ecosystem change

Pillar 4: Innovation, Research, and Future Readiness The landscape is changing rapidly. This pillar ensures we're shaping that change, not just reacting to it. Run structured pilots each year and scale what works, sunset the rest, and share lessons through internal and field-facing publications Move from "exploring" to using AI/digital tools in a few clearly defined, high-value ways — improving preparation, coaching, and operations without undermining care-centered relationships Staff report these tools make their work more effective, with guardrails keeping use ethical and mission-aligned

MOVING FORWARD, TOGETHER By 2029, we aspire to be an organization that is financially strong, nationally respected, and deeply trusted, one that helps shape the future of educator workforce development with clarity, discipline, innovation, and care.

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That future will require bold thinking, disciplined execution, and sustained investment in people. It will require organizations willing to innovate thoughtfully, listen deeply, and remain grounded in both excellence and care. City Teaching Alliance is committed to being that organization. This strategic plan is ultimately about people. More aspiring educators accessing pathways into the profession. More educators entering, staying, and leading. More schools strengthened by sustainable pipelines. More learners supported by exceptional, well-prepared teachers. And more communities shaped by the alumni who grew up in them, were trained to serve them, and chose to stay. Success will mean becoming a financially sustainable organization positioned for longterm impact, a nationally recognized leader in educator workforce development, a trusted partner and convener across the education ecosystem, and a care-centered organization where educators, staff, fellows, and alumni feel valued and connected.

We will measure that success in certification rates, retention, alumni leadership, partnership growth, revenue sustainability, and ultimately, in student outcomes. This is how we advance with purpose. This is how we build an organization that endures. And this is how we help create an educational ecosystem where educators and students don't just survive, they thrive. Because empowering educators means transforming futures.

EMPOWERING EDUCATORS Phone Number:

410-662-6600 Email Address:

marketing@cityteachingalliance.org Website:

cityteachingalliance.org Location:

CITYTEACHINGALLIANCE.ORG

8 Market Place, Office #68 Baltimore, MD, 21202

TRANSFORMING FUTURES Every data point and commitment in this plan represents an educator who chose to stay, a student who gained a great teacher, and a community that is stronger for it. That is what drives us. That is what we are building toward.