Narrative Shift: The Groundwork for Policy Change

Narratives are collectively held values or beliefs that influence how people think, feel, and talk about a topic. Together, partnerships can create and promote new narratives that frame paid teacher residencies as a foundational driver of high-quality preparation, educator effectiveness, and student success. “Narrative Shifts” replace old narratives with new ways of thinking, bridging the gap between the current policy and your envisioned policy goal.

Often, mindsets are the biggest hurdle to changing the system—the ways we define and discuss problems or possibilities inform how policies are designed and how they are received. Changing the conversation is therefore necessary to change perspectives on what is possible, paving the way for new policies.

These tools and resources offer a framework to develop policy goals and the narrative groundwork needed to make real change in your corner of the teacher preparation ecosystem. Explore the questions below!