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JET co-executive director Romie Robertson recently presented at the MACTE Spring 2026 Conference. In the spirit of the conference’s theme, Calling on Community: Collaborating to Prepare Confident Teachers in Challenging Times, Romie shared the stage with John Cipora from Springfield College, one of JET’s partner institutions. Their interactive presentation focused on the importance of formal partnerships between community-based organizations, institutions of higher education, and school districts, particularly in strengthening the paraprofessional-to-teacher pipeline. They highlighted how these cross-sector partnerships support shared responsibility for recruitment, preparation, and retention, and how they can create clearer, more sustainable pathways for paraprofessionals to become licensed teachers. Romie and John also shared how the JET– Springfield College partnership functions in practice and why this type of collaboration is critical in the current educator preparation landscape. Paraprofessionals often navigate fragmented systems with differing institutional requirements, timelines, and affordability constraints. Through this partnership, JET and Springfield College coordinate advising, align expectations, and maintain consistent communication to support candidates more holistically than either organization could alone. The session also addressed challenges that JET has encountered in building and sustaining the partnerships with multiple colleges and universities, including navigating institutional differences, balancing flexibility with program requirements, and supporting candidates across multiple systems. To address these challenges, JET has prioritized strong relationships with institutional liaisons, developing clear yet adaptable pathways, and using ongoing feedback to improve coordination and support. JET looks forward to continuing to strengthen our partnerships with institutions like Springfield College and to building new partnerships with institutions across Massachusetts.
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