Dean Jerlando F. L. Jackson at the Michigan State University College of Education has been named to the Educator Preparation Advisory Council (EPAC), a new national council convened by Ed3 Global and Deans for Impact (DFI). The council brings together higher-education and educator-preparation leaders to guide how future teachers are prepared for an education system and workforce being transformed by artificial intelligence (AI).
The EPAC is part of Ed3's Portrait of a Teacher in the Age of AI project, a multi-year research effort. The initiative examines how the teaching role is changing in the AI era and proposes forward-looking, adaptive frameworks and tools that guide the competencies, mindsets and roles educators need to thrive.
Ed3 has convened a K-12 Advisory Council of more than 40 partner organizations, including Pearson, Google, Digital Promise, ISTE, ETS, Teach For America and district superintendents, to examine the “demand side” of the teacher workforce: what schools and students will need from teachers. EPAC, facilitated in partnership with DFI, focuses on the complementary “supply side”: how teachers must be trained and credentialed to meet those demands. Together, the two councils aim to shape supply and demand in conversation with each other.
Jackson is one of 22 leaders serving on the council. Members represent a wide range of contexts in which future teachers are prepared, including public and private universities, community colleges, minority-serving institutions, teacher residencies, and national associations.
“This national effort brings together leaders in educator preparation to examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping teaching and learning to ensure that future educators are prepared to thrive in rapidly evolving educational environments,” Jackson said. Jackson is also an MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professor of Education and the director and chief research scientist for the Organizational Disparities Laboratory.
The council will review and give feedback on the project's research agenda and on guidance for how teacher competencies, responsibilities, and talent pipelines should evolve. That guidance is designed to help preparation programs, districts, policymakers and other stakeholders develop and support teachers who are equipped for their unique contexts and students, while preserving human relationships and judgment.
Jackson’s role on the council adds to ongoing efforts and initiatives related to the college’s strategic plan, Imagin[ED] 2030. In it, Jackson calls on the MSU College of Education community to advance education with science, including through AI, among other efforts critical to improving education, health and well-being.
“AI gives us an opportunity to fundamentally rethink the teaching profession, instead of simply making existing practices more efficient,” said Vriti Saraf, Co-Founder and CEO of Ed3 Global. “If we’re reimagining what we expect of teachers, we must also reimagine how we prepare them. That’s why teacher preparation leaders need a voice in shaping the future of the profession.”
“As AI shifts how teachers and students engage in learning, we remain steadfast in ensuring that the decisions teachers, leaders, and policymakers make are rooted in what’s best for supporting student learning,” said Valerie Sakimura, CEO of DFI. “We believe these council members are the right people to tackle hard questions about how to prepare teachers to make sound instructional decisions if and when AI tools are used in classrooms.”
Learn more about Ed3’s Portrait of a Teacher in the Age of AI project at ed3global.org/teacherportrait.
About the MSU College of Education
The College of Education at Michigan State University is a community of students, educators and researchers prepared to meet the challenges of education and kinesiology. We are committed to improving practice together through exemplary research, teaching and service. With a renowned Teacher Preparation Program, rigorous training for health-related careers and several nationally ranked graduate programs, the College of Education prepares leaders who make an extraordinary impact on health, well-being and education around the world.
About Ed3 Global
Ed3 Global is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that prepares educators for the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) through professional learning, research and development, and a global community of practice. Working with universities and other partners, Ed3 offers pedagogy-first AI literacy courses for educators across the world, built on research-backed practices familiar to many teachers, such as project-based learning, social-emotional learning, and restorative practices. Ed3 leads The Portrait of a Teacher in the Age of AI, a multi-year, multi-stakeholder, national initiative examining the changing role of teachers in the age of AI. To learn more, visit ed3global.org.
About Deans for Impact (DFI)
DFI is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to ensure every child is taught by well-prepared teachers. We support educator-preparation programs to bring the science of learning into teaching practice; partner with policymakers to ensure pathways into teaching are accessible, practice-based, instructionally-focused, and innovative and responsive; and equip leaders with the tools to address today’s most pressing challenges in educator preparation. Guided by principles of cognitive science, we aim to help aspiring and early-career teachers create rigorous and affirming classrooms where all children thrive. To learn more, visit deansforimpact.org.