As I started my presentation at our open house, I did a double-take. One of the parents sitting in the audience was … Arabelle?!
It’s strange when former students become current parents. I stammered. She grinned. When the evening ended, I sought her out. As if my former student becoming a current parent was not enough, Arabelle, whose name I changed here to protect her privacy, hit me with another bombshell: “I wanted to thank you, Mr. Kannan, for teaching my daughter and inspiring me to become a teacher.”
Memo to self: More Kleenex boxes.
She told me about her experience in becoming a teacher. Then, she dropped one more emotional truth bomb. Arabelle was considering quitting her education studies because she could not complete her unpaid student teaching requirement. “I have to eat, Mr. Kannan. Me and my little girl have to stay somewhere,” she told me. “I just can’t afford to student teach. No one’s there to help me, Mr. Kannan.”
Fifteen years ago, when I heard that voice coming from my student, I would rush to help her. But now, I felt powerless.
I was also not surprised. When I was an education student nearly 30 years ago, student teaching without pay was an unfortunate “part of the gig.” In Illinois, where I teach, it still is. That needs to change — and urgently.
As a student teacher, Arabelle will do a teacher’s job five days a week, including weekends, since the work inevitably spills beyond the school week, and then go back to her life as an education student each night.
She should not have to say, “I need to eat” or “Me and my little girl need a place to stay” because developing one’s craft as an apprentice should not involve such agonizing choices. Paying our student teachers would not only lift Arabelle as she climbs, but also help alleviate Illinois’ easing but still present teacher shortage.
The Illinois General Assembly recently passed HB3528, prohibiting higher education programs from forbidding student teachers from accepting payment. While this is a start, it is far from what prospective student teachers like Arabelle need. (A more comprehensive bill that would facilitate stipends for student teachers and supervisory teachers who complete a training is stalled for now, amid uncertainty in federal funding.)
A recent Teach Plus report highlights the importance of paying student teachers for their service, as a way to show respect to those who, like Arabelle, will transform our vocation. Paying student teachers is also a way to redress systemic racial inequity. The financial barrier of unpaid student teaching affects prospective teachers of color disproportionately, as they are more likely to experience financial need.
Compensating would-be educators is important, but that’s hardly the only barrier pre-service teachers face. School districts and schools of education must work harder to ensure that student teachers are placed with a good supervisory match. A thorough vetting process that considers the student population a would-be educator is likely to teach would yield better results.
If I had a supervisor invested in my success, I would not have been so lost during my own student teaching experience. I filled out a boilerplate form asking me questions such as “What grade did I want to teach?” and “How far would I be willing to travel?” I ended up at a school in an unfamiliar community with a disinterested cooperating teacher. Randomness should not be the dominant experience for our emerging educators.
My supervising teacher offered little in the way of feedback. He was disengaged from my growth, and there was no real incentive for him to put the time in, since he wasn’t being paid for his supervisory role. That, too, must change.
In addition, every student teacher must be supported with high-quality mentorship beyond the supervisory relationship. There are so many areas of confusion for student teachers. A mentor teacher can make a big difference, as early-career teachers learn to navigate everything from real-time grading to student differentiation, from parent communication to lockdown protocols.
I told Arabelle to keep in touch with me, both as her child’s teacher and as a potential mentor. She smiled, but I sensed her lingering concern about her career path.
I have been incredibly lucky to grow in this profession. Arabelle should have that same opportunity to teach; moreover, students should have the opportunity to learn from her. With compensation for student teaching, good-fit supervisors, and committed mentors, we can set Arabelle up for success as an educator who could soon be doing her own open house presentation.
Ashley A. Kannan teaches eighth grade American History and African American Studies at Percy Julian Middle School in Oak Park, Illinois. He is a 2025-2026 Teach Plus Leading Edge Fellow.