Office of Educator Licensure

Information about Future Teacher Signing Days

Besides students, educators are our primary resource in education, and it is important that young people be inspired to enter the teaching profession. As in past years, DESE encourages districts to hold a Future Teacher Signing Day event similar to the signing ceremony that takes place when a student athlete commits to play a sport at specific college. Instead of recognizing an athletic commitment, a Future Teacher Signing Day celebrates graduating seniors who are pursuing a career in education.

These events can be held in a small or large setting. The Department encourages schools to invite the parents or guardians of participating students, representatives from the college the student will attend, local legislators, school committee members, city or town officials, the head of the local teachers' union, the local press, and, if applicable, one or more teachers who the student says inspired them.

In addition to recognizing students who are choosing to be become educators, hosting such an event can help people see teaching as a valuable career worthy of celebration and may help inspire others to become educators.

The Department has developed optional templates to make it easier for schools and districts to hold a Future Teacher Signing Day event. The following items are available:

• A sample program;
• A sample signing letter;
• An invitation for a representative of the student's college;
• An invitation for the student's parents or guardians;
• An invitation for legislators, school committee members, and city or town officials;
• An invitation for the student to send by email or as a hard copy to an influential teacher, someone who they might reference when discussing why they are pursuing a career in education;
• A sample media advisory; and

Here are a few videos with examples of previous Future Teacher Signing Day events in Massachusetts schools:

• Beverly, 2019
• Bridgewater-Raynham, 2019
• Everett, 2019
• Holyoke, 2019
• Wahconah Regional, 2019
• Wilmington, 2019

Please share your Future Teacher Signing Day on social media (use the hashtag #futureMAteachers) and tag DESE (@MASchoolsK12 on Twitter, @MassachusettsDESE on Facebook).