Community allies to classroom leaders: examining equitable teacher pathways in the context of a university–district collaboration

Purpose This study examines pathways individuals follow from paraeducator to teacher, focusing on Paraeducators of Color and Indigenous Paraeducators (PCIP). The purpose was to generate data-driven evidence to support university and district leaders in designing sustainable, equity-centered strategies to recruit, prepare and retain a more diverse teaching workforce amid ongoing shortages and turnover. Design/methodology/approach Using longitudinal administrative data from three large urban school districts between 2007 and 2022, we conducted descriptive and regression analyses to identify demographic, educational and contextual characteristics associated with PCIP movement into teaching positions. Findings PCIP were more ethnoracially diverse than the teacher workforce, one in six held a bachelor’s degree and nearly one-fifth had an existing teacher certification. Certification attainment strongly predicted promotion into teaching roles. These findings highlight the untapped potential of paraeducators as a key source of ethnoracially diverse teachers and provide a template for creating data informed evidence to support district–university partnerships. Practical implications Findings provide actionable insights for university and district leaders to design inclusive certification supports, mentorship systems and recruitment pipelines for paraeducators. The results also inform policymakers seeking to sustain and fund partnership-driven workforce diversification initiatives. Originality/value This study contributes to the limited empirical research on paraeducator-to-teacher pathways and adds findings relevant to districts in urban geographic contexts facing staffing shortages. Results demonstrate how reciprocal collaborations between higher education and K–12 districts have potential to inform local hiring and preparation pathways.