Framingham State awarded $75K for diversity teacher residency program

Photo | Grant Welker Framingham State University

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By Katherine Hamilton

Framingham State University received a $74,855 grant to develop a new teacher residency program in partnership with Framingham Public Schools and the National Center for Teacher Residencies, according to a Wednesday press release from the school.

Scheduled to launch in fall 2022, the program will offer hands-on learning, mentorship, and academic coursework for participants from bilingual and underrepresented backgrounds, per the announcement. The first class will include between 15 and 20 participants.

The nearly $75,000 grant was awarded to the university by government volunteering agency AmeriCorps and the Massachusetts Service Alliance, and will cover about 65% of the program’s costs. The remaining $39,870 will be financed by Framingham State and Framingham Public Schools through in-kind funds.

Ultimately, the two Framingham institutions hope to apply for a three-year grant from AmeriCorps for $1 million, which also will support stipends for teaching candidates during their residency.

The residency program aims to address a racial gap within the Framingham school system, where 80% of teachers are white though the majority of students are non-white, according to the release.

Framingham State students, as well as paraprofessionals within public school systems, will be eligible for the program. Candidates who complete the program can expect teaching opportunities within the Framingham Public Schools, the announcement said.