New York State Education Department Awarded $8.4 Million Federal Grant to Strengthen New York’s Educator Workforce

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has been awarded $8.4 million through the federal Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program to support strengthening the educator workforce in high-needs schools, the Department announced today.

The three-year New York Educator Career Continuum Initiative will support efforts to recruit, develop, advance, and retain highly effective educators while creating stronger career pathways and leadership opportunities for teachers and school leaders across New York State.

Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr. said, "Every student deserves to learn from excellent educators who understand their communities, believe in their potential, and are prepared to help them succeed. This initiative is a powerful investment in New York's future, creating innovative pathways that attract, prepare, support, and retain the next generation of teachers and school leaders. Through registered apprenticeships and strong mentorship, we are opening doors to the profession while strengthening the continuum of educator development. Most importantly, we are building sustainable, community-centered pipelines that will help ensure students in every region of our state, particularly in neighborhoods facing the greatest staffing challenges, have access to the outstanding educators they deserve."

Commissioner Betty A. Rosa said, "Building and sustaining a strong educator workforce requires us to think beyond recruitment alone. We must create a career continuum that supports educators from their first steps into the profession through mentorship, advancement, and school leadership. This initiative will allow us to expand paid, job-embedded pathways, reduce financial barriers to entering the profession, and develop locally rooted pipelines that respond to the workforce needs of communities across New York State."

The New York Educator Career Continuum Initiative is part of the Department's broader Sustaining Educator Pipeline initiative, a comprehensive system of coordinated strategies to recruit, prepare, develop, and retain high-quality educators throughout their careers. The new federal investment will accelerate this work by expanding paid, job-embedded pathways into teaching, strengthening mentoring and career advancement opportunities for experienced educators, and supporting the development of aspiring school leaders.

A central component of the initiative will be developing and expanding Teacher Registered Apprenticeship (T-RAP) pathways statewide in partnership with participating educator preparation programs across the State University of New York (SUNY) and City University of New York (CUNY) systems, as well as high-need school districts and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES). These programs will serve diverse regions and communities across New York State, supporting the development of locally rooted educator pipelines responsive to regional workforce needs. Teacher apprentices will complete paid, job-embedded preparation in high-need schools, working alongside experienced mentor teachers and earning a bachelor's degree and teacher certification at no cost. The National Center for Grow Your Own (NCGYO) will serve as NYSED's national technical assistance partner, working with project partners to support the design, implementation, and long-term sustainability of the apprenticeship model.

The initiative will also invest in developing and supporting experienced mentor teachers who work one-on-one with teacher apprentices. NCGYO will provide structured coaching and professional learning to support participating mentors and build capacity to sustain and expand apprenticeship pathways statewide. Beyond the teacher pathway, the initiative will develop and pilot a principal apprenticeship pathway, extending the career continuum from aspiring teachers through school leadership.

Through these interconnected strategies, NYSED and its partners will build sustainable, locally rooted educator pipelines; strengthen recruitment and career advancement opportunities; and expand access to well-prepared, effective educators in schools facing the greatest staffing challenges.

The New York Educator Career Continuum Initiative will run from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2029. The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Education through the Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program.