Coppin State University Awarded $6.25 Million to Expand Teacher-Leader Career Pathways
BALTIMORE — Coppin State University has been awarded $6.25 million through the federal Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) grant program, part of a partnership between the U.S. departments of Education and Labor.
The award will support Pathways to Professions (P2P): Career-Wide Teacher-Leader Pathways for Workforce Advancement from 2026 through 2029. The initiative includes $5 million in federal funding and $1.25 million in matching support.
The new award marks more than a decade of continuous funding for P2P and introduces two pathways designed to support educators throughout their careers. TeachForward will provide an alternative pathway to state teacher licensure, while LeadForward will offer stackable credentials leading to advanced degrees and progress toward National Board Certification.
“For more than 10 years, P2P has created opportunities for educators to enter the profession and continue advancing throughout their careers,” said Yi Huang, Ph.D., Executive Director and P2P Principal Investigator at Coppin State University.
Building on that foundation, the next-generation initiative will be jointly implemented by the P2P Consortium, including Coppin State University, Salisbury University, University System of Maryland, Baltimore City Public Schools, Somerset County Public Schools, and St. Mary’s County Public Schools.
The P2P strategic workforce development initiative is broadly endorsed by executive leadership from the Maryland State Department of Education, Maryland State Board of Education, the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Accountability and Implementation Board, and the University System of Maryland.
“With its powerful statewide partnership supporting high-need communities, comprehensive dual pathways, rigorous research design, and a decade of research distinction in credential innovations, the P2P Consortium is well positioned to establish a scalable and replicable national model for career-wide teacher-leader advancement,” said Dr. Huang.
“P2P builds upon Coppin State University’s longstanding commitment to preparing highly qualified educators who serve and strengthen their communities,” said Mintesinot Jiru, Ph.D., interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Education. “This investment allows us to expand innovative pathways that support aspiring teachers, current educators and emerging education leaders at every stage of their professional journey.”
The initiative also reflects Coppin State’s university-wide approach to addressing complex workforce and community needs.
“This reflects something core to who we are at Coppin State — the belief that solving real problems for the communities we serve requires connecting disciplines, not working in silos,” said Dr. Chanta M. Haywood, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “P2P is exactly that kind of work: education, research and workforce development in service of the same goal.”
Through P2P, Coppin State and the Consortium will continue expanding access to the education profession, developing teacher-leaders, and producing research that supports innovation across the field.
