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The seventh annual Strategic School Staffing Summit, hosted by Arizona State University’s Next Education Workforce™ initiative, took place Feb. 4–5, 2026, and featured more than 30 virtual sessions on how schools, systems and states are building and sustaining team-based staffing models, reflecting a field gaining traction and moving toward scale.

Four educators from across the country shared how teaming shapes their day-to-day work in a session entitled “A Conversation With Educators Working in Next Education Workforce Models” during the 2026 Strategic School Staffing Summit.

Recent federal guidance, via a new letter from the U.S. Department of Education, creates new opportunities to use Title II funds to support redesigned educator roles and team-based instructional models.

Across 16 U.S. states and two countries, educators are working in teams rather than alone, creating more student-centered learning environments while building careers that are collaborative, sustainable and satisfying. In just seven years, Next Education Workforce­™ team-based staffing models have grown from a single school to 128 schools serving roughly 33,000 students.

North Dakota became the first state in the nation to be approved by the U.S. Department of Labor for a new Lead Teacher Registered Apprenticeship, building upon the state’s pioneering efforts to strengthen its education workforce pipeline.

If you’re interested in how schools are redesigning teaching through team-based models, the Strategic School Staffing Summit is the easiest way to see what’s happening across the country without leaving your desk. Learn more about the four content tracks and get a preview of who will be presenting.