As teacher shortages persist and more educators enter the profession through nontraditional routes, one question becomes increasingly urgent: What makes a teacher preparation program effective?
Effectiveness is not just a buzzword; it is the measure of how well a program equips candidates with the knowledge, skills, and support needed not only to survive in the classroom, but to thrive. While many programs market themselves as fast or affordable, far fewer provide data-backed outcomes or build systems that ensure long-term success for both teachers and students.
At The Learning Liaisons (TLL), we see firsthand how important this preparation is. That is why we partner with
Teachers of Tomorrow (ToT) — the nation’s largest alternative certification program — to provide the exam preparation and confidence-building teachers need to move from coursework to the classroom. By combining ToT’s structured training with TLL’s expert-led test prep, aspiring educators gain the tools to both earn certification and succeed in the profession long term.
Under the new ownership of
The Rise Fund and an educator-led leadership team headed by Dr. Heath Morrison, Teachers of Tomorrow (ToT) has doubled down on the core features that research consistently links to teacher readiness and retention.
ToT has invested heavily in industry-leading support systems, including:
• Extended support hours until 7 p.m. on weekdays
• Weekly live office hours with instructors
• 24/7 AI chat and after-hours AI agent voice support
• A robust self-service knowledge base
For working professionals, who make up the majority of ToT candidates, this flexibility and highly accessible support is often the difference between program completion and burnout.
ToT’s rigorous curriculum:
1. Aligns with the Quality Matters (QM) standards for online courses
2. Is approved by the State Departments of Education in the states in which it operates
3. Is research-based and application-focused
4. Gets candidates “classroom ready” earlier in the program through milestone-based progress tracking
Surveys, dashboards, and performance data are built into the system, creating a continuous improvement feedback loop that allows the program to evolve based on candidate outcomes and district needs.
Unlike many certification programs that provide only one type of study resource, ToT offers three different test prep options:
1. In-house developed materials
2. Premium test prep provider, The Learning Liaisons (TLL)
3. Additional exam preparation provider resources
As a trusted test prep leader, The Learning Liaisons provides video-based instruction, interactive practice, and expert strategies that help candidates master both subject area and pedagogy exams. This ensures candidates are not just prepared to pass, but confident in applying their knowledge in the classroom.
This multi-format approach means candidates with different learning preferences can prepare effectively for certification exams, removing barriers that can otherwise delay licensure and employment.
A high-quality teacher certification program must provide meaningful hands-on support, especially during the critical internship year.
• Every ToT candidate is paired with a dedicated field supervisor, an experienced K–12 educator, often a former administrator.
• Interns receive multiple structured, documented observations, with clear feedback aligned to state standards.
• Areas for improvement are addressed through adaptive remediation plans to ensure all teachers are truly classroom-ready.
These practices are key in supporting teacher candidates’ development and growth as educators.
With over 85,000 graduates working
in more than 3,100 districts nationwide, ToT has built tools that directly support school systems¹:
• A district portal for tracking candidate progress
• Real-time vacancy matching between interns and hiring districts
• Dedicated account managers for district partnerships
By aligning candidate pipelines with district needs, ToT helps administrators plan staffing more effectively and fill high-need positions faster.
Teacher shortages are not going away overnight, and neither is the demand for high-quality, flexible certification pathways. Teachers of Tomorrow is showing that alternative certification can meet both goals — providing access for nontraditional candidates while maintaining rigorous, research-backed preparation.
Through its partnership with The Learning Liaisons, ToT ensures candidates are fully equipped to succeed at every stage — from coursework to passing their certification exams, to thriving in the classroom. It is a complete approach to teacher preparation that blends strong mentorship, accessible support, high-quality test prep, and meaningful field experience to set educators up for lasting success.
Learn more about Teachers of Tomorrow
here.
¹Data on file
