Educators Rising
Educators Rising is a national CTSO and division of PDK International that operates school-based chapters across 42 states, delivering standards-based curriculum, micro-credentials, and competitions to recruit and prepare high school and college students for teaching careers through 85+ Partner Institutions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersArlington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Educators Rising does
Educators Rising is a national Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) and division of PDK International, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1906. Established in 2014, the organization builds a K-12-to-college-to-classroom pipeline for future teachers, operating school-based chapters across 42 states with affiliate agreements and feeding teacher preparation programs at 85+ Partner Institutions. Its core offering is a standards-based curriculum of nearly 60 lesson topics organized into five domains (You, Your Students, Your Classroom, Your Community, Your Profession), aligned with standards developed via the NBPTS professional consensus model with NEA support. Supporting products include Lesson Assessments (bundled into curriculum contracts), Beginning to Teaching Micro-credentials via Digital Promise, ETS ParaPro Assessment testing, the Educators Rising National Honor Society, and the Educators Rising Training Center (online PD platform launched April 2026).
The business model combines multiple recurring and transactional revenue streams: $14,000 annual curriculum subscriptions per school (including 2 staff and 20 student memberships), $15 per-student annual memberships, Partner Institution tier fees (Preferred, Highly Recommended, Recommended), national conference registrations (3,800+ attendees in 2026), ParaPro testing code resales at a discount over ETS list price, and grants/scholarships funded through the PDK Educational Foundation and local funders. Distribution is hybrid: a self-serve membership portal for individual sign-ups, a field Outreach & Engagement team covering regional US territories for district/school curriculum sales, and a Partner Institution channel through 85+ universities. Customers span high school and middle school students (primary), teacher leaders and state coordinators, colleges/universities, district administrators, and movement funders/sponsors.
Operationally, the organization runs lean with 11-50 employees led by CEO Jeanie Lee and COO Albert C. Chen of PDK International, supported by directors across Membership, Programs, Outreach & Partnerships, Operations, and Finance, plus state coordinators in 42+ states. Technology consists of a web-based membership portal, curriculum delivery system, assessment platform, micro-credentialing integration with Digital Promise, and ParaPro testing integration with ETS; no AI/ML capabilities are evident. The platform is anchored by major partnerships with NEA, NBPTS, Digital Promise, ETS, Pi Lambda Theta, and Chmura Economics, and is governed as part of PDK International's nonprofit structure with no external venture or private equity funding.
Educators Rising firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Educators Rising
- Legal name
- Phi Delta Kappa International, Inc.
- Website
- https://educatorsrising.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Educators Rising is a national CTSO and division of PDK International that operates school-based chapters across 42 states, delivering standards-based curriculum, micro-credentials, and competitions to recruit and prepare high school and college students for teaching careers through 85+ Partner Institutions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Educators Rising industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Career Development Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Career & Technical Education (CTE) Centers & Programs (EDAJAAAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Instructional Delivery & Pedagogy (School-Led) (EDAJAFAB), Standards Alignment & Curriculum Mapping (State/National) (EDAJAFAD), Classroom Assessment & Grading (Formative/Summative) (EDAJAFAC)
Keywords
Where Educators Rising is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Arlington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Educators Rising business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Student Membership Fees: Active-level student membership at $15 per student per year. Required for competition participation, conference attendance, scholarships, and leadership opportunities.
- Curriculum Subscription: Annual subscription model at $14,000 per school (includes membership for 2 staff and 20 students). Discounts applied for multi-year purchases. Includes curriculum materials, lesson assessments, and training access.
- Partner Institution Fees: Colleges and universities pay for partnership tiers (Preferred, Highly Recommended, Recommended) to gain access to student pipeline and marketing benefits.
- National Conference Revenue: Conference registration fees for students, teacher leaders, and chaperones attending the annual national conference.
- ParaPro Assessment Testing: Schools purchase ParaPro testing codes from Educators Rising (discount offered over ETS list price) to administer certification exams.
- Donations and Grants: PDK Educational Foundation provides over 100 scholarships annually. Organization receives funding from local funders and foundations through Grow Your Own programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Active Student Membership - $15 per student annually |
| Subscription | Annual | Curriculum Subscription - $14,000 per school annually |
| Other | Multi-year contract | PDK Scholarships - $500 to $4,000 awards |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels9 records
Educators Rising product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Educators Rising is a community-based Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) that operates school-based chapters feeding teacher preparation programs at colleges and universities. It sells a standards-based curriculum (nearly 60 lessons across five domains) to high schools, operates a membership portal for students and teacher leaders, and runs an annual national conference with competitions. The organization also administers micro-credentials through Digital Promise and discounted ETS ParaPro assessment codes for paraprofessional certification.
Product overview
Educators Rising offers a comprehensive CTSO (Career and Technical Student Organization) platform for developing future educators. The core offering is the Educators Rising Curriculum — a standards-based instructional program with nearly 60 lesson topics across five domains, delivered via PowerPoint and PDF resources. This is complemented by Educators Rising Lesson Assessments (included with new curriculum contracts), Beginning to Teaching Micro-credentials via Digital Promise (performance-based digital badges), and ETS ParaPro Assessment (for certification). The membership portal provides access to national network activities, conferences, and competitions. Additional programs include the Educators Rising National Honor Society, PDK International Scholarship Program, National Signing Day, and Educators Rising Collegiate for post-secondary transition support. The Grow Your Own Playbook and Webinar Series provide implementation guidance for districts establishing educator pathways.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Educators Rising Collegiate: Collegiate-level program continuing to serve Educators Rising members at the college level by recommending education programs that supply them with support throughout their college careers.
- Educators Rising Alumni Association
- Educators Rising National Honor Society
- Educators Rising Training Center
Quantifiable outcome
- 400% more likely to stay in teaching aspirations vs. other professions
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Educators Rising
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Educators Rising technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature5 records
Educators Rising partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
26 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, preferred, highly recommended, recommended and minor.
- PDK InternationalflagshipPDK International is the parent organization of Educators Rising. Established in 1906, PDK supports P-20 educators through research, practice, and professional development. Educators Rising is a community-based movement from PDK International operating as a CTSO with chapters feeding teacher preparation programs.
- National Education Association (NEA)coreNEA provided support in developing the Educators Rising Standards. The seven standards define what high school students exploring teaching need to know and be able to do for accomplished teaching.
- National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)coreEducators Rising Standards were created via the professional consensus model developed by NBPTS. Standards are aligned with NBPTS and INTASC standards for accomplished teaching.
- Digital PromisecorePartnership for Beginning to Teach Micro-credentials. Performance-based digital badges allow rising educators to showcase growing teaching skills. Several universities now award credit for Educators Rising Micro-credentials.
- ETS (Educational Testing Service)corePartnership for ParaPro Assessment. Educators Rising offers discounted testing codes for the ParaPro assessment, allowing schools to administer certification exams in-building. Students can become certified paraprofessionals before completing teacher preparation.
- Pi Lambda ThetacoreOne of the nation's most prestigious education honor societies. Established 1910, Pi Lambda Theta recognizes outstanding students pursuing education careers. Over 185,000 inductees. Partner institutions can offer Pi Lambda Theta recognition to Educators Rising members.
- Towson UniversitypreferredPreferred Partner Institution in Maryland. Works to diversify the profession, offer recognition, and provide support through Educators Rising initiatives.
- University of ArkansaspreferredPreferred Partner Institution in Arkansas. Fayetteville, AR location.
- Aurora Universityhighly recommendedHighly Recommended Partner Institution in Illinois. Aurora, IL location.
- Illinois State Universityhighly recommendedHighly Recommended Partner Institution in Illinois. Normal, IL location.
- University of Louisiana-Monroehighly recommendedHighly Recommended Partner Institution in Louisiana. Monroe, LA location.
- George Mason Universityhighly recommendedHighly Recommended Partner Institution in Virginia. Fairfax, VA location.
- Grand Canyon UniversityrecommendedRecommended Partner Institution. Phoenix, AZ location.
- University of ArizonarecommendedRecommended Partner Institution. Tucson, AZ location.
- University of Central FloridarecommendedRecommended Partner Institution. Orlando, FL location.
- University of South FloridarecommendedRecommended Partner Institution. Tampa, FL location.
- Texas A&M UniversityrecommendedRecommended Partner Institution. College Station, TX location.
- University of HoustonrecommendedRecommended Partner Institution. Houston, TX location.
- Virginia Commonwealth UniversityrecommendedRecommended Partner Institution. Richmond, VA location.
- Penn State UniversityrecommendedRecommended Partner Institution. State College, PA location.
- Duquesne UniversityrecommendedRecommended Partner Institution. Pittsburgh, PA location.
- West Chester UniversityrecommendedRecommended Partner Institution. West Chester, PA location.
- Indiana UniversityrecommendedRecommended Partner Institution. Bloomington, IN location.
- Marian University IndianapolisrecommendedRecommended Partner Institution. Indianapolis, IN location.
- Howard UniversityrecommendedRecommended Partner Institution. Washington, DC location.
- Chmura Economics & AnalyticsminorPartnership to analyze labor data and economic indicators regarding teacher shortage. Joint webinar examining economic data through JobsEQ tool.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Educators Rising competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DECA: DECA is a national CTSO preparing emerging leaders in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. Like Educators Rising, DECA operates school-based chapters, conferences, and competitions, and competes for the same student activity and CTE program slots.
- Technology Student Association (TSA): TSA is a national CTSO for students interested in STEM and technology careers. Its chapter-based structure, conferences, and competitions provide a directly comparable CTSO model competing for the same high-school teacher leader bandwidth.
- HOSA-Future Health Professionals: HOSA is a national CTSO for students pursuing healthcare careers, with chapters, conferences, and competitive events. Like Educators Rising, it delivers a career-pathway CTSO model with state affiliates feeding postsecondary programs.
- FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America): FBLA is a national CTSO for students pursuing business and leadership careers, with a parallel chapter-based, conference-and-competition model. It competes with Educators Rising for teacher leader time, chapter slots, and CTE program budgets in high schools.
- SkillsUSA: SkillsUSA is a national CTSO serving middle-school, high-school, and college students preparing for careers in trade, technical, and skilled service occupations. Its chapter-based, competition-driven model and CTE focus closely mirror Educators Rising's structure.
Broad incumbents
- PDK International: PDK International is the parent organization of Educators Rising and a broader professional association serving educators across P-20. It offers overlapping capability in educator support, publications (Phi Delta Kappan), and the Pi Lambda Theta honor society, but operates at a wider scope than Educators Rising's CTSO focus.
- Pi Lambda Theta: Pi Lambda Theta is a sister organization to Educators Rising under PDK International, recognizing outstanding education students. It is comparable in mission (building the educator pipeline) but targets collegiate rather than high-school members.
- National Education Association (NEA): NEA is the largest U.S. teacher union and a strategic partner that co-developed Educators Rising Standards. As a broad incumbent in educator advocacy and professional development, NEA overlaps in mission but not in CTSO delivery model.
Others
- Educational Testing Service (ETS): ETS is the testing organization behind the ParaPro Assessment, which Educators Rising resells to schools at a discount. ETS is an enabling partner in the certification pathway rather than a competitor in the CTSO space.
- Digital Promise: Digital Promise is a nonprofit that partners with Educators Rising to deliver the Beginning to Teaching micro-credentials. It is an enabling ecosystem participant in Educators Rising's product stack rather than a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Educators Rising social profiles
Digital presenceEducators Rising financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Educators Rising leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Educators Rising funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Educators Rising M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Educators Rising
What does Educators Rising do?
Educators Rising is a community-based Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) that operates school-based chapters feeding teacher preparation programs at colleges and universities. It sells a standards-based curriculum (nearly 60 lessons across five domains) to high schools, operates a membership portal for students and teacher leaders, and runs an annual national conference with competitions. The organization also administers micro-credentials through Digital Promise and discounted ETS ParaPro assessment codes for paraprofessional certification.
Is Educators Rising a public or private company?
Educators Rising is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Educators Rising founded?
Educators Rising was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Educators Rising based?
Educators Rising is headquartered in Arlington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Educators Rising make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Student Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are curriculum Subscription, partner Institution Fees, national Conference Revenue, paraPro Assessment Testing and donations and Grants.
Who are Educators Rising's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DECA, Technology Student Association (TSA), HOSA-Future Health Professionals, FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) and SkillsUSA. Broad incumbents are PDK International, Pi Lambda Theta and National Education Association (NEA). Others are Educational Testing Service (ETS) and Digital Promise.
Does Educators Rising have an API?
No public API is recorded for Educators Rising.
What industry is Educators Rising in?
Educators Rising's product category is Education Career Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAAAJ, Public Career & Technical Education (CTE) Centers & Programs, with a secondary code of EDAJAFAB, Instructional Delivery & Pedagogy (School-Led). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8600.