Bill > S2748

This bill aims to promote a more diverse educator workforce in Massachusetts. It proposes several key provisions: 1. Establishes an alternative process for granting educator certification that considers factors beyond just test scores, such as prior experience, portfolios, or advanced degrees. 2. Requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to develop guidelines for school districts to increase racial and ethnic diversity among teachers, administrators, and staff, and mandates that each district create a corresponding policy. 3. Directs DESE to review district diversity plans, assist districts in complying with the requirements, and ensure educator preparation programs also have plans to increase the diversity of program graduates. 4. Requires DESE to set statewide educator diversity goals, collect and publicly report diversity data, and submit annual reports on the state of educator diversity. 5. Mandates that each district appoint a diversity, equity, and inclusion officer or establish a diversity team to coordinate compliance with the law's requirements. 6. Establishes an educator diversity grant program to support initiatives aimed at recruiting and retaining diverse educators. Overall, the bill aims to address the lack of racial and ethnic diversity in the Massachusetts educator workforce by implementing various planning, reporting, and support mechanisms at both the state and local levels.

Budget and Finance

Committee on Education (J)

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S2748