To become licensed as a teacher, you need only an undergraduate degree. The traditional recipe is four years in college with a final semester stint as a student teacher. Requirements vary slightly based on location, but rarely do they ask more of teaching candidates than this.

Teachers do have a continuing education requirement, but this is not quite the same thing as upskilling.

What does it mean to upskill? We’ll take a look at that and more later on in the article. Read on to learn more about how advanced education can help improve learning environments.

What is Upskilling?

Upskilling is an educational opportunity that allows a professional to develop a specific skill. It’s usually highly specialized and designed to provide a deep understanding of a narrow topic. For example, a teacher might attend an upskilling seminar that is specific to data implementation. The course may include 10+ hours of instruction on one topic, delivered over several sessions.

Of course, teachers already have a continuing education requirement. Sometimes, this obligation can lead instructors to upskilling opportunities, but not always. The continuing education requirement may be specific to a new curriculum or even a district policy.

It might improve the way that they function within the school ecosystem, but it won’t necessarily better them as an educator.

Another difference? Upskilling often also involves an element of choice. The teacher is able to select something that interests them and learn more about it.

One person might choose to learn more about teaching ELA learners. Another might focus on how AI can influence classroom learning.

There are tons of different ways to upskill. That’s part of the fun.

Does Graduate School Count as Upskilling?

Graduate school is certainly in the upskilling ballpark. However, while upskilling boot camp seminars are often cheap and quick to complete, graduate programs will take years to finish. In education, people will often enter graduate programs with an ambition that extends beyond just learning a new skill.

Often, they will do it to:

• Make more money. Teachers are not compensated based on their performance. In most parts of the world, their pay is scheduled based on union-led negotiations. A college freshman who knows what school district they will be working in could, at this very moment, look up a schedule that will forecast how much money they will be making when they retire in forty years. That forecast probably will not be accurate—contracts are periodically renegotiated—but it won’t be wildly off either. Graduate degrees keep you on the schedule while also increasing your pay.
• Make you eligible for new positions. Administrative positions are usually only available to people with graduate degrees in school administration. It’s important to keep in mind that these jobs are not promotions exactly but career pivots. Still, they do typically result in substantially higher salaries than teachers can expect. A school administrator may wind up making six figures.

Like most graduate degrees, higher education opportunities in education allow teachers to learn more about aspects of their work that interest them the most. For example, you might get a master’s degree in data implementation or diversity in education.

Some educators even go on to get their doctorate. This is generally done in situations where the person wants to access the highest rungs of leadership. For example, some superintendents might have a doctorate in school administration.

These can be good opportunities, but they are also difficult to facilitate. Graduate degrees cost tens of thousands of dollars and can take years to complete. Should school districts be helping their teachers acquire them? If so, why?

What is the Benefit of Providing Upskilling Opportunities?

Upskilling opportunities have the obvious benefit of helping to make sure that students are learning from teachers with the highest possible level of qualifications. Naturally, the more a teacher knows, the better they are able to instruct their students. It’s also important to keep in mind that pedagogy changes with time.

Even a thirty-year-old teacher may be working with an outdated understanding of best practices. It’s through continued education that they can keep their understanding of education up to date.

When school districts help their teachers improve their credentials, it can also contribute to boosted morale. The woeful mistreatment of teachers could be its own article. It’s its own book, really. Here’s a CliffsNotes version: Teachers are underpaid and underappreciated; for this reason and the simple fact that their jobs are very hard, many move on to different careers after only a few years on the job.

Supporting teachers in their pursuit of graduate degrees is one way to incentivize retention and keep educators engaged.

Is it the only way to improve the world of education? Certainly not. It’s not even the best way. Teachers deserve a lot more than the world is ready to give them. Still, small perks can make a big difference.

High-quality continuing education opportunities not only help keep educators in the game but also empower them to level up.

Schools can accomplish this through good tuition assistance programs. By encouraging educators to take advantage of these opportunities, they help make a lasting improvement in the education environment of their community.