Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs

FY2024: Diversifying the Educator Workforce

Fund Code: 242

Purpose:

The competitive Diversifying the Educator Workforce Grant is designed to support non-profit organizations and institutes of higher education efforts to diversify the Massachusetts educator workforce. This RFP is directly aligned to the third strategic objective listed in the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's new educational vision , which sets an ambitious and long-term expectation of the learning experiences for students across the Commonwealth. The Department is deeply committed to providing aligned support to districts, schools, and programs so that this vision may become a reality and will continue to work with districts, schools, and educators to promote teaching and learning that is antiracist, inclusive, multilingual, and multicultural; that values and affirms each student and their families; and that creates equitable opportunities and experiences for all students, particularly those who have been historically underserved.

Grant recipients will develop and implement thoughtful, high-impact strategies intended to directly impact the recruitment and retention of diverse Massachusetts educators. Priority funding will be given to proposals that support diverse individuals who identify as career changers, aspiring teachers, high school students, and first-generation college students.

Strategies should be evidence-based and informed by qualitative and quantitative data related to diverse educator recruitment and retention efforts.

Applicants may propose using grant funds to strengthen existing teacher recruitment and retention programs in one or more ways.

Option A: Existing Programs
Grant funds may be used to enhance and expand the organization's existing programs designed to increase the recruitment and retention of diverse Massachusetts K–12 educators.

Option B: New Programs
Grant funds may be used to support the development of new programs designed to increase the recruitment and retention of diverse Massachusetts public K–12 educators.

Option C: School and District Partnerships
Grant funds may be used to develop new partnerships between the organization and Massachusetts public schools and districts (traditional public schools, districts, charter schools, career vocational technical education schools, approved private special education schools, and regional collaboratives). The partnerships must be designed to increase the school or district's diverse educator recruitment and retention efforts.

To ensure this RFP supports the Department's priority to create a more diverse and culturally responsive Massachusetts educator workforce, organizations must describe how cultural proficiency training needs for prospective educators will be determined and provided.

Priorities:

Competitive priorities for this grant will be given to:

Organizations that support education-specific pathways for high school students.
Organizations with established teacher recruitment and retention programs, which include, but are not limited to paraprofessional-to-teacher programs.
Proposals that support diverse individuals who identify as career changers, aspiring teachers, high school students, and or first-generation college students.

Eligibility:

This grant is open to non-profit organizations and Massachusetts institutes of higher education.

Funding Type:

State Line Item 1599-2056

Funding:

Approximately $1,100,000 will be awarded to non-profit organizations and institutes of higher education.

Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding is to become available, it will be distributed under the same guidelines as listed in the initial RFP document.

The requested amount should be appropriate and reasonable for the size and scope of the proposed program.

This RFP is the governing document for these grant funds.

Fund Use:

Funds must be used to support Massachusetts's efforts to create a more diverse and culturally responsive public K–12 educator workforce. Activities must be reasonable, appropriate, and consistent with all applicable state and federal requirements.

Project Duration:

Upon approval – 6/30/2024

All grant-funded activities must be paid by June 30, 2024 . A report on grant-funded activities, outcomes, and a participant feedback survey will be required. Additional details will be provided to grant-funded schools and districts.

Program Unit:

Center for Strategic Initiatives

Contact:

CSI@mass.gov

Date Due:

Friday, December 22, 2023
Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. on the date due.
* All responses must be received by the due date and time listed in this RFP. All responses must be submitted as directed in the Submissions Instructions section of this RFP. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. Responses not submitted on time will not be reviewed. If you need assistance with submitting your application, please reach out to the contact person listed in this RFP.

Required Forms:

Copies of the non-profit organization or Massachusetts institute of Higher Education's strategic plan which demonstrates a focus on educator diversification.

Submission Instructions:

If you are applying for this grant and do not currently have an LEA Code provided by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, please email us separately to request an LEA Code. Email all required forms in their original Word or Excel formats (e.g., not converted to a PDF; with the exception of the signed Part I documents which should be converted to PDF), to CSI@mass.gov . Note: Electronic signatures are required on the emailed versions.

Upon award, recipients will be required to enter the approved budget in EdGrants and upload required documents. Grant recipients will be contacted with further instructions on the process.

Last Updated: December 1, 2023