Coppin State Launches Teach Forward to Accelerate Teacher Pathways, Building on 10 Years of Pathways to Professions
New statewide initiative will streamline credentialing, expand access, and strengthen Maryland’s educator workforce
BALTIMORE — Coppin State University is launching TeachForward (P2P 3.0), a forward-looking initiative designed to accelerate pathways into the teaching profession across Maryland, building on a decade of success through its Pathways to Professions (P2P) initiative.
For the past 10 years, Pathways to Professions has positioned Coppin as a leader in workforce-aligned education, connecting students to high-demand careers and expanding access to opportunity. The various P2P initiatives have also broken new ground nationally, securing sustained and record levels of funding over the past decade to support innovation, scale, and long-term impact. TeachForward represents the next phase of that work, focused on strengthening and accelerating the pipeline of future educators.
As one of the first initiatives of its kind, TeachForward will establish a multi-agency Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) system that recognizes prior experience, streamlines credentialing, and reduces time to completion for aspiring teachers.
Supported by funding from the Maryland Higher Education Commission, the initiative positions Coppin State University and the TeachForward Consortium as leaders in efforts to:
Accelerate teacher preparation
Diversify the educator workforce
Expand access to high-quality instruction across Maryland
“TeachForward represents the evolution of our Pathways to Professions model,” said President Anthony L. Jenkins. “For ten years, Coppin has focused on connecting education to opportunity and outcomes. This next phase builds on that foundation by removing barriers, recognizing real-world experience, and creating more direct pathways into the teaching profession.”
Through system-wide credit recognition and rigorous academic processes, TeachForward will allow students and working professionals to translate prior learning into academic credit, creating more efficient and accessible routes into the classroom.
“The Pathways to Professions initiatives have always been grounded in access, innovation, and student success,” said Yi Huang, Ph.D., Executive Director, Research Faculty, and Principal Investigator in the College of Arts and Sciences and Education at Coppin State University. “TeachForward builds on that foundation by creating a more flexible and responsive system that values experience and accelerates progress. This approach will strengthen the pipeline of educators and better serve communities across Maryland.”
The launch of TeachForward reinforces Coppin’s leadership in both urban and rural higher education and workforce development, and reflects its continued commitment to expanding opportunity and driving economic mobility through education.
