BPS Bilingual Educators & Accelerated Community to Teacher Program

POSITION : Bilingual Educators & Accelerated Community to Teacher (BE / ACTT) 2025 Cohort member

REPORTS TO :  Director of BPS Teacher Pipeline Programs

Position Number : N / A

Grade : N / A

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW :

Founded in 1647, Boston Public Schools (BPS) is the oldest public school district in the country. As the birthplace of America’s public education system, BPS has a long, rich tradition and commitment to education. We are a leader in urban education. BPS has been recognized nationally for programs and initiatives such as universal preschool, early childhood education, equitable school-based funding formula, and policy specifically focused on creating greater racial equity to name a few. Boston Public Schools is committed to transforming the lives of all children through exemplary teaching in a world-class system of innovative, welcoming schools. We partner with the community, families, and students to develop in every learner the knowledge, skill, and character to excel in college, career, and life.

OFFICE OVERVIEW :

Recruitment, Cultivation & Diversity Programs (RCD) resides in the Office of Human Capital. This is a division of the Office of the Superintendent to ensure that the district places the elimination of disparities, particularly racial disparities, at the center of all of our instructional and operational work.

Recruitment, Cultivation & Diversity Programs (RCD) combines cultivation, pipeline development, and diversity programs to better support candidates and employees throughout their careers. RCD is committed to developing, preparing and retaining a racially, ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse group of highly effective and culturally proficient teachers and staff members every year. We continue to focus our efforts on three key “levers” for our work : 1) Recruit and Develop employees 2) Cultivation 3) and Retain employees. These levers remain at the center of our strategy for mitigating teacher attrition and sustaining the retention of our teachers of color.

RCD has significantly scaled up and augmented its existing programming to meet high demand and to recruit and develop aspiring and current educators of color. For instance, we ensure that our coursework center race and racism, and that we offer our candidates (BE / ACTT, described below) and Fellows (BPSTF, described below) multiple opportunities to understand and be able to enact culturally affirming and content-rich pedagogy and practice.

Overview of BPS Teacher Pipeline Programs

One of the nation’s only locally embedded, grow-your-own model of teacher preparation, BPS’s Teacher Pipeline Programs (BPSTPP) is part of the larger strategy of the RCD program to address the demand for highly qualified, equity-minded and racially literate early childhood, elementary and secondary school teachers for Boston’s classroom. The overarching goal of the BPSTPP is to support racially, linguistically and culturally diverse teachers by providing a coherent pathway from provisional to initial licensure, with an emphasis on culturally responsive and Universally Designed Learning experiences that increase equity and access to academic success for our district's historically underserved populations. This goal is achieved through culturally affirming coursework, intensive and individualized mentoring and advising, and support for Massachusetts’ Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL). We also offer hiring support to our aspiring teachers in the Bilingual Educator & Accelerated Community to Teacher (BE / ACTT) program. We have three programs, two of which are part of our state-approved educator preparation programming. The BE / ACTT is a one-year, no-cost preparation program that begins the learning to teach process, where aspiring teachers engage in culturally and linguistically responsive coursework, content methods courses, SEI endorsement coursework, MTEL and hiring support. The BPS Teaching Fellowship (BPSTF) provides intensive and individualized coaching and mentoring to first year BPS teachers of record through the state’s required cycles of pre-practicum and practicum experiences, continues MTEL support, and requires state-aligned online coursework.

BPSTPP’s core belief that the next generation of Boston’s teachers are in the schools and in the communities of Boston right now permeates all of the work we do.

Participant Benefits :

Our innovative training model is designed to help BE / ACTT candidates and BPS Teaching Fellows lead their students to success from the moment they step into their classrooms.

• One-on-One Intensive & Individualized Coaching : BE / ACTT candidates engage in content methods courses, Foundations of Education courses, and intensive support with hiring preparations and process. BPS Teaching Fellows receive rigorous instructional coaching from our expert staff, who are doctorate-level veteran teachers. Fellows are also shepherded through endorsement for licensure through the state’s Candidate Assessment Portfolio (CAP). Our coaching model will help you see exponential growth in your practice over time. Each will receive frequent and consistent feedback on pedagogy and practice from BPSTF specialists on a weekly basis throughout the school year. Both Teaching Fellows and BE / ACTT candidates are strongly supported through MTEL testing and Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) Endorsement.
• Early Fall Pre-Practicum and Programming : In the fall, the BE / ACTT offers a content methods course and a foundational theories and practices in education course alongside opportunities to earn Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) Endorsement. In the spring, we focus on MTEL preparation and the hiring process. In terms of the BPSTF, a key component of the BPS Teaching Fellowship is its gradual release model. During August orientation, Fellows co-construct their vision of good teaching while also beginning to work in small group instruction. In September, Fellows begin their 2-month pre-practicum, to build upon their content and pedagogical knowledge, as they engage in our online coursework and hybrid academy session courses. Throughout the pre-practicum, Fellows receive intensive in-person coaching and support from full-time specialists and take part in weekly MTEL support as well as weekly Academy Sessions.
• Professional Development : Full-time BPS teachers in the BPS Teaching Fellowship, as well as BE / ACTT candidates, participate in a blended learning model, including biweekly and in-person or virtual evening sessions, district-level evening PD sessions from November through May, and online coursework over the course of the year.
• School Year Practicum : BE / ACTT candidates who complete all program requirements will be encouraged to apply to the BPS Teaching Fellowship. BPS Teaching Fellows who demonstrate foundational teaching proficiency during the pre-practicum will be allowed to advance to the practicum phase of the program, where they receive continuous coaching, feedback, and professional development.
• Assessment of Performance : At the end of the school year, Fellows are assessed on the state’s Candidate Assessment of Performance (CAP) rubric to ensure that they have met program competencies to earn licensure to continue their career as BPS teachers. BE / ACTT candidates will receive a grade report for their coursework, which is eligible to count towards 6 Master’s credits.
• Initial Licensure : As an approved educator preparation program for the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Fellows who meet the program requirements will be endorsed for initial licensure in Moderate Disabilities (all levels) or English as a Second Language.

Who is Eligible?

In order to participate in the program, BE / ACTT candidates must possess a Bachelor’s degree, have experience working with young people, and have a demonstrated commitment to equity and social justice. Once in the program, throughout the spring and summer, candidates can take advantage of open such as job fairs, demonstration dates and networking events for aspiring educators. Earning a job as a BPS teacher of record makes our candidates eligible for the BPSTF program the following year.

In order to participate in the BPSTF, Fellows must apply for and be hired into a full-time Boston Public Schools teaching position for the fall and have an emergency or provisional license.

Qualifications and eligibility for both programs :

Important Components of the programming :

Tuition Cost :

BE / ACTT is a free program. Tuition for the BPS Teaching Fellowship will be $3,300 for SY24-25. The full amount must be paid upon the completion of the Fellowship.

Program Obligations :

How to Apply?

A complete application is due by 11 : 59 pm on May 31, 2024. You must submit your resume and references as part of your application.

Application Questions (Required) : Submit responses to the questions in this