Strategic Initiatives

Transforming Diverse Educator Pathways

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) strives to cultivate a diverse, culturally responsive, and skilled educator workforce, ensuring equitable access to effective educators for all students. The educational vision prioritizes workforce diversification (Strategic Objective 3) through:

  1. Building a robust pipeline of diverse educators and leaders.
  2. Sustaining and retaining diverse staff, particularly those from alternative pathways.
  3. Promoting continuous improvement through effective teaming structures.

DESE collaborates with districts and educators to champion antiracist, inclusive, multilingual, and multicultural teaching that values and affirms every student, especially those historically underserved. This grant directly advances Strategic Objective 3. We're committed to embedding this vision into school culture.

All students in Massachusetts, particularly students from historically underserved groups and communities, will have equitable opportunities to excel in all content areas across all grades. Culturally and linguistically sustaining classroom and school practices will support students to thrive by creating affirming environments where students have a sense of belonging, engage in deeper learning, and are held to high expectations with targeted support.

An inclusive school environment is crucial for diverse educators because it fosters a sense of belonging, support, and equity, improving their job satisfaction and retention. It also enables them to bring valuable cultural perspectives that enhance student learning and create a more equitable, culturally responsive school community.

Transforming Diverse Educator Pathways Community of Practice

The Community of Practice serves as a vital platform for school districts to collaboratively explore and refine their educator diversification strategies. Districts receiving grant funds will take a leading role, sharing their experiences, challenges, and successes in implementing innovative programs. Through open discussions and shared learning, these grant-funded districts will help to guide and inspire other districts seeking to diversify their educator staff, fostering a supportive network dedicated to creating more equitable and representative educational environments. If your district is interested in joining the Community of Practice, please sign up here: Transforming Diverse Educator Pathways Community of Practice Interest Form .

This Community of Practice will meet virtually for two hours on:

  • January 28, 2026
  • March 26, 2026
  • May 28, 2026

Please be advised that DESE does not authorize attendees to record or to use AI transcription tools during the meeting and DESE does not endorse any unauthorized transcripts created by third parties of its meetings.

Teacher Diversification Guidebook

An updated version of the guidebook will be available soon.

Transforming Diverse Educator Pathways Grant Posting

The Transforming Diverse Educator Pathways Grant provides seed funding for districts to develop systems for attracting and retaining diverse educators. At the end of this grant period, districts will need to demonstrate how the grant improved educator diversity and will have a plan for sustaining the initiatives financially.

Diversity, in this grant, encompasses traditional social categories such as race, ethnicity, gender, age, socioeconomic status, language, and abilities. For additional guidance, please review the Massachusetts Attorney General's Multi-State Guidance Concerning Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Employment Initiatives .

Successful educator diversification requires more than just funding. Strategies must stem from analyzing recruitment and retention data and align with district strategic plans. Achieving diversification goals demands a collaborative, multi-layered approach across the organization. A systematic approach blends technical improvements in recruitment and selection with the adaptive challenge of fostering an inclusive, culturally responsive environment where all educators and students thrive.

The FY26 Transforming Diverse Educator Pathways Grant has been posted and closes on October 31, 2025, at 5:00 PM. All grant funds must be expended by June 30, 2026, and no carry-over will be granted under any conditions. The grant start date is anticipated for mid-December. Districts should develop proposals for a focused, six-month program. This initial funding is designed to initiate or strengthen the systems and structures necessary to cultivate a diverse educator pipeline within the district. The district should be able to continue the program at the end of the grant period, independent of additional funding from the DESE.

Grant Requirements

The Department will conduct site visits to districts that are awarded grant funds to engage directly with district stakeholders impacted by the grant program.

Grant-funded districts are required to have their grant program facilitator attend all Community of Practice meetings. Each district will present its grant-funded program work at one of these meetings.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst Donahue Institute (UMDI) is researching the impact of these grant funds on educator diversification. Districts will submit a year-end report detailing the number and information about the individuals impacted by the grant and provide their contact information so UMDI can administer individual surveys.

Grant recipients will participate in monthly check-in meetings with the Department to support the successful development and launch of grant-funded initiatives. These meetings provide a forum for sharing progress, receiving feedback, and fostering collaboration. Grant applicants should ensure the grant program facilitator can attend one check-in meeting each month on one of the following dates:

  • December 16 and 17
  • January 12 and 13
  • February 4 and 5
  • March 4 and 5
  • April 1 and 2
  • May 5 and 6
  • June 3 and 4

Failure to meet and maintain any of these requirements may result in fund revocation.

Grant Questions and Answers

Grant related questions are under review and answers will be posted the week of October 13, 2025.

Contact

For any information about this grant, please email Eric Washington and Sylvia Lam .

Last Updated: October 10, 2025

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