The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is dedicated to developing and sustaining a diverse, culturally responsive, and well-prepared educator workforce committed to continuous improvement. This effort ensures all students have equitable access to effective educators. Recently, DESE unveiled a new educational vision centered on workforce diversification through Strategic Objective 3, which encompasses three sub-objectives:
The Teacher Diversification Grant is designed to support school districts, non-profit organizations, and institutes of higher education to strengthen and diversify existing teacher recruitment and retention programs. The Department will 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. This grant directly with Strategic Objective 3 by fostering a workforce that is diverse and committed to continuous improvement. DESE is committed to providing support to districts, schools, and programs to embed this educational vision into school culture. This work promotes teaching and learning that is antiracist, inclusive, multilingual, and multicultural, valuing and affirming every student and their families while creating equitable opportunities for all students, particularly those historically underserved.
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.
In addition to financial support, strategies must be informed by a review of qualitative and quantitative data related to teacher recruitment and retention. Identified strategies should align with the school district, non-profit organization, or higher education institution's strategic plan.
The Teacher Diversification Professional Learning Community (TDPLC) is a one-year hybrid commitment, consisting of in-person and virtual meetings throughout the 2024-25 school year, aimed at developing holistic talent diversification strategies.
Through participation in the TDPLC schools and districts will focus on a range of components that are critical for a strategic approach to the recruitment, selection, and retention of diverse educators. Embedded in the theory of action referenced above are several guiding principles that will ground the work of the TDPLC.
For School District Grant Applicants
Upon notification from DESE of a conditional grant award, applicants are required to send a team to participate in all Teacher Diversification Professional Learning Community (TDPLC) sessions relevant to their awarded grant option.
Required Team Composition:
Absences or lack of engagement in TDPLC will result in the forfeiture of grant funds. Teams attending the PLC must have the opportunity to collaborate outside of the PLC sessions. This collaboration is vital for ensuring the grant's desired impact and alignment with the Teacher Diversification PLC. We understand that districts vary in size and capacity, if the attendance of the requested team size will pose a challenge, please ensure to notify the grant contact for additional support prior to accepting the grant award. To sign up for the PLC, complete this team sign up form then notify CSI@mass.gov of your desire to join the FY25 PLC.
For Non-Profit Organizations and Institutes of Higher Education Grant Applicants
Grant awardees are encouraged to attend the TDPLC session on March 19, 2025. Additional information will be provided to awarded non-profits and colleges.
DESE intends to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of this grant involving both department staff and external researchers. This evaluation may include surveys that all recipients of financial support or stipends will be required to complete, along with data collection, interviews, and observations. All grant awardees will be required to participate in data collection with additional details to be provided to grant awardees prior to acceptance of the grant award.
It is crucial to emphasize that this grant is not merely about funding programs; it requires collaborative efforts among district teams to achieve the outlined outcomes. The work should not be conducted in silos; diverse perspectives are essential.
Funding Options: Applicants may request funding for up to $50,000 per eligible funding Option A–G. Funds must be used to deliver outcomes that support the recruitment and retention of diverse educators with a focus on diversifying the K–12 educator workforce. It is important to note that districts are only eligible to apply for grant funds from Option A–D. Non-profit organizations and higher education institutions can apply for Options E-G. Funds awarded for a specific Option may not be transferred to a different Option after the award. These grant funds are designed to supplement program funding not to be its primary funding source.
*All individuals supported by Options B (financial incentives and retention stipends) and C (Licensure Support), of this grant must commit to teaching in the school or district for a minimum of 3 years and demonstrate a commitment to supporting students from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds. It is important to note that those who receive grant funds will be required to participate in data collection.
Competitive priorities for this grant will be given to:
This grant is open to all school districts in the Commonwealth, as well as non-profit organizations and institutes of higher education. Please note that previous grant awardees must meet specific submission requirements.
School districts, non-profits, and institutes of higher education that have previously received funding from the Teacher Diversification Grant, Educator Diversification Grant, or the Diversifying the Educator Workforce Grant must submit a data workbook that can be found here: Teacher Diversification Grant, for all years of funding. This report must be submitted to DESE by 5:00pm on December 13, 2024. Failure to do so will result in disqualification of your grant application.
The Department is committed to improving efforts to diversify the educator workforce. As a condition of accepting these funds, staff must participate in any program evaluations, data collection requests, or monitoring activities associated with this funding.
To maintain eligibility for the grant, all school districts are required to send a team to attend and actively participate in the Teacher Diversification Professional Learning Community.
State Line Item 7061-9408 and Trust Funds 1599-2056
Grant awards are contingent upon the grantee being able to certify that it will comply with the Massachusetts General Laws, including G.L. c. 40A, § 3A, the MBTA Communities Act
Approximately $1,574,932 will be awarded to school districts, non-profits, and institutes of higher education.
All districts awarded funds will be required to attend the Teacher Diversification Professional Learning Community. If your district is awarded funds, receiving funds from this grant will be contingent upon your district's consistent attendance and participation in the Teacher Diversification PLC.
The total grant award will be determined by financial needs articulated by eligible school districts, non-profits, and institutes of higher education districts and may be modified by the Department. 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.
Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funds become available the Department will distribute funds.
Funds must be used to deliver outcomes that support the recruitment and retention of diverse educators with a focus on diversifying the K–12 educator workforce. Activities must be reasonable, appropriate, and consistent with all applicable state and federal requirements.
Options A through G: Grant-funded activities must conclude by the project duration end date of June 30, 2025.
Upon Approval* – 6/30/2025
All grant-funded activities must be paid by the project duration end date of June 30, 2025. All grant recipients will be expected to provide an annual summary report on grant-funded activities and outcomes once the grant is completed.
*Grant start date cannot be prior to DESE approval. Application Submission as directed in this RFP's Submission Instructions. Goods and Services cannot be procured prior to Grants receiving and approving an application submission. Funds cannot exceed the project duration end date.
Center for Strategic Initiatives
Eric Washington Syliva Lam
Friday, December 13, 2024*
Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on the date due.
Competitive grant applications are considered submitted when the grant application is submitted by the Superintendent or their designee through the "LEA Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved" step in GEM$. In order to be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application through the LEA Superintendent Approved stage by the due date and time listed in the RFP.
All responses must be submitted through proper steps and received by the due date/time listed above. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. Responses not received on time will not be reviewed. Applicants applying after the due date may be notified their application was received late and will not be reviewed. Applications must be submitted as directed in the Submissions Instructions below. Failure to do so may result in disqualification. If you need assistance with submitting your application, please reach out to the contact person listed on this funding opportunity.
DESE is collecting data from all past grant recipients to learn from your experience working with these grants. This is an attempt to learn about the impact of these grants and to understand efforts that may be working to increase the diversity of the teacher workforce; it is not an assessment of your district or organization.
With this data collection, DESE intends to: 1) assess the broad impact of the grants in terms of the number of individuals served, and 2) see where the grants have provided the greatest benefit, using individual data where available to identify participants/recipients and their status becoming or remaining teachers of record.
School districts, non-profit organizations, and institutes of higher education that have previously received funding from the Teacher Diversification Grant, Educator Diversification Grant or the Diversifying the Educator Workforce Grant must submit a Summary Report for all years of funding. This report must be submitted here: Data Submission: Teacher Diversification Grant and Diversifying the Educator Workforce Grant, to DESE by 5:00pm on December 13, 2024. Failure to do so will result in disqualification of your FY25 Teacher Diversification Grant application.
The grant award start date is likely to occur mid-January 2025, applicants should plan adequately to utilize all requested funds by June 30, 2025.
Questions regarding this competitive application must be emailed to CSI@mass.gov by 5pm on November 29, 2024. A Q&A document with responses will be posted to the Teacher Diversification Grant webpage on December 3, 2024.
The 0253 FY25 Teacher Diversification Grant will be submitted in our new GEM$ system. GEM$ is a cloud-based fiscal and program management grant system that will eventually phase out the use of EdGrants. Grants for Education Management System (GEM$)
New organizations that do not have an established LEA with DESE skip to Step 3.
Step 1: Establish and assign proper roles before the grant due date/time. Grant Submission at the LEA level requires roles to be established for Grant writer for the specific fund code, LEA fiscal for financial review/approval, and Superintendent/Chief Executive sign off.
All roles should be established prior to the grant due date and all appropriate forms should be either uploaded to GEM$, maintained at the LEA level or sent in to the DESE RFP contact as described on the individual forms. The user guidance documents and forms are found on the GEM$ homepage under DESE Resources. These forms can be accessed without logging in to the system.
Step 2: Submit the grant through all LEA steps in GEM$. There are three LEA steps a competitive grant must be submitted through by the due date and time to be considered for funding:
Competitive grant applications are considered submitted once the grant application is submitted by the Superintendent or their designee through the "LEA Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved" step in GEM$. In order to be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application through the LEA Superintendent Approved stage by the due date and time listed in the RFP. Please plan accordingly.
The Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved Step allows for the organization lead to review and approve the grant application. Removing the requirement for the Part I Standard Contract Form, this step signifies Superintendent /Chief Executive sign off. Any grant budget changes requiring signature, will re-execute this step when amended signifying the organization lead is approving these changes.
Step 3: (If applicable) New organizations request temporary organization access. New organizations are entities that have not been established as an LEA in GEM$. Entities that do not have an organization established in GEM$ must contact the DESE Program Unit issuing this grant at a minimum 5 business days prior to the grant due date for temporary organization access.
Temporary Access will need to be created by DESE before you can then assign the proper roles and submit the grant as outlined in Steps 1 and 2.
Failure to provide DESE with GEM$ Temp Organization Access Request at least 5 business days prior to the due date may result in not meeting the submission due date listed above. DESE cannot accept or review applications after the due date.
Failure to provide DESE with GEMS Request Form at least 5 business days prior to the due date may result in not meeting the submission due date listed above. DESE cannot accept or review applications after the due date.
Please Note: Grant Submission at the LEA level requires roles to be established for Grant writer for the specific fund code, LEA fiscal for financial review/approval, and Superintendent/Chief Executive sign off. All these roles should be established prior to the grant due date and all appropriate forms should be either uploaded to GEM$, maintained at the LEA level or sent in to the DESE RFP contact as described on the individual forms. The user guidance documents and forms are found on the GEM$ homepage under DESE Resources. These forms can be accessed without logging in to the system.
Last Updated: December 4, 2024
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