Teacher preparation is evolving to better meet modern learners’ needs and address urgent workforce shortages in education. By embedding modular, real-world credentialing into degree pathways, institutions can create more accessible, relevant and resilient routes into the profession. In this interview, Robert Lee discusses how stackable, work-embedded credentials support personalized teacher preparation and how codeveloped, community-aligned pathways expand access and relevance for aspiring educators.
The EvoLLLution (Evo): How are stackable work-embedded learning models helping institutions build more continuous learner pathways that align more directly with in-market teaching roles?
Robert Lee (RL): We view stackable, work-embedded credentials as a powerful strategy to meet immediate workforce demands while addressing long-term skills gaps. At National University, we’re aligning microcredentials with the competencies our school district and agency partners seek, making degree and credential pathways more accessible and relevant for prospective educators.
For many adult learners, a full degree can feel like a distant goal. Stackables offer a more motivating, flexible alternative that supports continued progress without the attrition risks traditional timelines present. These modular units also allow us to bridge to high-leverage practices and align directly with national and state standards such as the Council for Exceptional Children, and California’s Teaching Performance Expectations. The result is a teacher preparation model that’s personalized, responsive and targeted, providing timely, skill-specific feedback that helps learners grow into confident educators ready for the classroom.
Evo: What role does modular credentialing play in bridging short-term workforce needs with long-term academic progression in a teacher’s education?
RL: Modular credentialing plays a critical role in aligning workforce readiness with academic advancement. At National University, we’ve worked with the National Head Start Association to map the Child Development Associate, or CDA, credential to our curricula. We found the Council for Professional Recognition’s CDA to be robust and rigorous enough to count toward three early-stage courses in early childhood teacher prep. More importantly, each of the five stackable certificates in our BA in Early Childhood Education is designed around competencies that not only advance a learner academically but also position them for wage increases when recognized by employers.
In Head Start, for example, someone might begin as an assistant teacher with their CDA and progressively take courses to earn each of the five stackable certificates that together build toward a bachelor’s in early childhood education. With each milestone, they become more qualified and more valued, creating a meaningful connection between learning in context and earning.
Evo: How can education colleges ensure embedded pathways align with diverse classrooms and student needs?
RL: Aligning embedded pathways with real classroom needs starts with addressing the variability in teacher credentialing nationwide. Since states define their own licensure criteria, a shared framework among education colleges could establish common language, expectations and portability, ensuring teachers are prepared for diverse classrooms regardless of geography. Equally important is aligning academic instruction with practical, district-aligned pathways like teacher residencies, internships, dual enrollment and grow-your-own apprenticeships. These models support learning that’s both experiential and evidence-based.
At National University, for example, coteaching in residencies allows candidates to collaborate with master teachers from lesson planning through delivery. This hands-on approach, reinforced by immediate feedback, connects theory to practice and strengthens candidates’ ability to respond to classroom realities using frameworks like Universal Design for Learning or Multi-Tiered System of Supports. The result is a more adaptive, effective educator prepared to meet diverse student needs from day one.
Evo: How do you see the integration of these workforce-aligned credentials within traditional curricular structures impacting the future of teaching?
RL: Integrating workforce-aligned credentials into traditional teacher prep demands a fundamental shift. The old model—classroom learning first, hands-on experience last—no longer meets the needs of today’s educators or students. At National University, we’re rethinking that structure. Through residency models, for example, candidates coteach alongside experienced educators while learning in real-world environments.
But we go further, partnering with community-based organizations and afterschool programs to give future teachers a fuller view of a child’s life beyond the classroom. This approach not only scaffolds their development through stackable credentials but also helps them see teaching as a holistic role that requires them to support students academically, socially and emotionally. These integrated pathways offer more than just credentials. They prepare educators to break silos, build community connections and meet the complex needs of under-resourced learners with empathy and effectiveness.
Evo: What innovations in program design or delivery are essential to making the teaching profession more accessible and sustainable for modern learners?
RL: To make teaching more accessible and sustainable, we must redesign pathways to meet today’s learners where they are. At National University, we’re piloting innovations like U.S. Department of Labor-recognized apprenticeships that support paraprofessionals, career changers and community-based educators already embedded in local districts. These diverse, flexible entry points not only diversify the workforce but also support long-term retention, which is critical in addressing the instability plaguing urban and rural schools.
We’re also advocating for paid student teaching to reduce financial barriers and exploring competency-based education and on-the-job learning to validate prior experience. Crucially, we’re involving school districts and community organizations in shaping our credentialing programs. Codeveloping curricula with these partners ensures relevance, builds deeper community investment and better prepares candidates for the real-world challenges of today’s classrooms. This collaborative, practice-integrated model is key to creating a stable, diverse and effective teaching force.
Evo: Is there anything you’d like to add?
RL: As we see it at National University, our job as education colleges is to meet students where they are and eliminate as many barriers as possible instead of asking them to conform to outdated models. With 50 million Americans holding some college credit but no degree—and often carrying debt—it’s rarely academics that cause students to become a stop-out.
Life happens. COVID, caregiving responsibilities or health issues can derail even the most motivated learners. That’s where stackable credentials make a real difference. By embedding meaningful, workforce-aligned certificates within degree pathways, students who pause their studies can still walk away with proof of progress, demonstrating real, employer-validated competencies. These modular milestones create a more flexible, resilient pathway to a well-prepared, more diverse workforce and help transform higher ed into something that truly responds to modern learners’ needs.
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