Most aspiring teachers are faced with an unfair choice between financial security and quality preparation. For aspiring teachers who want strong preparation that includes extended clinical experiences working alongside accomplished practitioners, many are not financially able to support themselves without working and have no good options for paying for their certifications. They can take on more debt, work jobs in addition to coursework and clinical requirements, or struggle with food and housing insecurity. Of course, none of these options allow them the time and mental space to engage their clinical practice with the kind of depth they need to become effective teachers. Future teachers need time to learn. And once they are teachers,they need to be free from unreasonable worries about debt.

Anecdotal stories from across the country share unrealistic expectations for and the unsustainable lives of aspiring teachers who cannot financially support themselves during unpaid clinical practice—which is the norm across the country. At a national level, data to help illuminate the extent of this crisis is scarce at best. Analyses of the negative economic incentives for attracting and retaining strong teachers generally focus on hired teachers’ salaries, whether compared to other professions or in relationship to debt levels, or both. These metrics are important, since compensation affects districts’ ability to attract and retain strong teachers. Another piece of the economic picture is less visible but also crucial for teacher quality: the costs associated with required clinical experiences for becoming a teacher.