Washington, DC – ILO Group, a women-founded national education strategy and policy firm, and the National Center for Grow Your Own (NCGYO), the nation’s leader in apprenticeship-based educator pathways, are proud to announce a new partnership to support district and state leaders in ensuring those entering their teaching pathways are equipped with the skills to thrive alongside AI, while keeping values, students, families, and educators at the center of every decision.
“AI holds the promise to reshape teaching and learning. Our educators, including our future educators, must be at the forefront of this change,” said Dr. Julia Rafal-Baer, Co-Founder and CEO of ILO Group. “Every preparation pathway, including apprenticeships, will need to build AI expertise into their training. This partnership with the National Center for Grow Your Own is about ensuring that leaders approach AI with values at the center of their work, particularly when it comes to strengthening their educator pipeline. David and his team have reshaped how we think about apprenticeship pathways and the future of the educator workforce, and we could not be more excited to pair that expertise with ILO Group’s work on AI to build the next generation of leadership.”
“The collaboration with ILO Group provides a vehicle to build superintendent and district leader capacity through AI-enabled professional development. By preparing leaders to harness AI effectively and responsibly, we are strengthening the very systems our aspiring educators enter into. Stronger leadership creates better conditions for principals, teachers and apprentices to thrive,” said David Donaldson, founder of the National Center for Grow Your Own.
The new partnership will provide education leaders from across the country with practical, values-driven strategies for responsible AI adoption, with a focus on strengthening the educator pipeline, embedding AI into apprenticeships, and preparing students and educators alike for an AI-enabled future.
Read more about ILO Group’s specialized division dedicated to the seamless and safe implementation of AI in education, AiLO by clicking here. For more on the National Center for Grow Your Own’s work with states and districts in launching and expanding Grow Your Own and registered apprenticeship programs click here.
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About ILO Group
ILO Group was built on a simple, shared mission: to roll up our sleeves and do whatever it takes to support K-12 system leaders’ big bets – from continuing to respond to student needs exacerbated by the pandemic to supporting all students thriving as we look ahead.
A proudly women-owned education strategy and policy firm, ILO Group, stands for In the Life Of. We work side-by-side with the country’s leading educators, experts, and government partners to help solve the toughest challenges facing school systems and leaders today–because we’ve been in their shoes. With decades of collective experience, our seasoned team of consultants has supported many of the nation’s largest and highest-profile school systems and education-focused organizations.
Our clients span school districts, state education agencies and other government agencies, nonprofits, philanthropy, start ups, civic-minded businesses, and beyond. They all share one thing in common: an unwavering commitment to supporting our nation’s students and young people. Through our work, we have supported leaders serving 1 in 2 students in America.
About Dr. Julia Rafal-Baer
Dr. Julia Rafal-Baer is the Co-Founder and CEO of ILO Group, and the founder and CEO of Women Leading Ed, the largest national nonprofit network of women in education leadership. Dr. Rafal-Baer is a board member on the National Assessment Governing Board and a former New York State Department of Education Assistant Commissioner. A former special education teacher, Dr. Rafal-Baer holds a Master of Philosophy in Education Research and a Ph.D. focused on comparative education policy from the University of Cambridge, where she was a Marshall Scholar.
About the National Center for Grow Your Own
The National Center for Grow Your Own (NCGYO) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which provides technical assistance to state education agencies, state apprenticeship agencies and local education agencies (school districts) that are interested in launching or expanding “Grow Your Own” (GYO) and/or registered apprenticeship programs for aspiring teachers and principals. These programs are able to address educator shortages while improving teacher quality and retention.
About David Donaldson
David Donaldson is the founder and managing partner of the National Center for Grow Your Own. David was the lead author to the U.S. Department of Labor to get the teacher occupation made eligible for registered apprenticeship and then launched the first teacher registered apprenticeship program while in Tennessee. Since then, he was the lead author to get the K-12 principal occupation approved and the team is the first and largest intermediary of K-12 educator apprenticeships in the nation.