Op Eds
A disability shouldn’t be a handicap
Massachusetts
•Oct. 28, 2017Teach Plus Massachusetts Policy Fellowship
We grow teachers as leaders and empower them to take action in order to increase equitable opportunities for students.
In summer 2025, Teach Plus will launch the next Policy Fellows in Massachusetts. This highly selective leadership opportunity is for outstanding teachers looking to deepen their knowledge of education policy and amplify the voices of teacher leaders in Massachusetts. Policy fellows, who will receive a $1,500 stipend for their commitment, will expand their influence without leaving the classroom through guided work, including:
- Monthly virtual meetings, an in-person training session, and smaller, issues-focused working groups
- Training through expert-led modules on topics such as Storytelling for Impact, Policy 101, Advocacy & Organizing, Evidence-Based Policymaking, Testifying and Meeting with Decision Makers, Op-Ed Writing, & Media Relations
- Direct engagement with key stakeholders and policymakers
- Pursuit of a policy research or advocacy project that addresses a pressing state-level policy issue
Launched in 2009, the Greater Boston Teaching Policy Fellowship offered excellent teachers an unprecedented opportunity to influence key education policy issues. In an effort to reach more teachers, Teach Plus Massachusetts launched the Massachusetts Policy Fellowship in 2016.
Today, Teach Plus Massachusetts offers the Massachusetts Policy Fellowship to outstanding educators in the state looking to deepen their knowledge of education policy and gain a voice in decisions that directly affect students and the teaching profession. The fellowship is open to educators across Massachusetts.
What is the Massachusetts Policy Fellowship?
- Fellows receive training through expert-led modules and direct engagement with experts in education policy and key decision makers. No prior policy experience is required.
- Fellows expand their influence without leaving the classroom.
- Fellows stay focused on their classroom and minimize disruptions to their instruction by using a blended learning approach with a combination of monthly virtual and live meetings held after school, or during the weekend.
- This cohort of Teach Plus Policy Fellows will be building upon work done in the previous year pertaining to the literacy crisis in Massachusetts. We have identified the need to continue advocacy work in the areas of:
- workforce development
- family engagement
- Inclusive curriculum
- literacy gains from birth through 12th grade
- supporting adolescent literacy gap recovery
- Fellows receive a $1,500 stipend for their commitment.
What does Teach Plus do?
Teach Plus trains educators in understanding education policy as a lever for student success, community organizing and outreach, promoting educator voice through writing op-eds and speaking to the media, providing public testimony, and more. We work to create and connect teachers to opportunities to lead in real ways at the policy level.
How does it work?
Teach Plus recruits and selects Massachusetts Policy Fellows from across the state to participate in a year-long cohort experience. Fellows become part of a larger movement of teacher leadership and help mobilize their peers around top issues impacting the teaching profession. Teach Plus works with key stakeholders and policymakers in the state to inform the conversation and influence outcomes.
Our Teach Plus Massachusetts Policy Fellows have:
- Been named Massachusetts State Teacher of the Year and National Teacher of the Year.
- Engaged Commissioners at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and The Board of Early Education and Care, as well as other state education and political leaders.
- Presented at national and statewide conferences.
- Created and facilitated discussions and events across a range of topics impacting our schools, communities, and the profession.
- Led statewide survey and focus groups on topics related to funding and teacher leadership across Massachusetts.
- Published op-eds in local and national media outlets on such topics as early childhood education, literacy, and postsecondary aspirations.
Qualifications
Teach Plus seeks a cohort of teachers who reflect communities across Massachusetts. Apply to the policy fellowship if you:
- Are a current teacher of record (ECE-12) with at least two full years of teaching experience by July 2025.
- Have a track record of success teaching students in traditional public or charter schools in Massachusetts.
- Are ready to dedicate your time and energy to learning about policy and advocating on behalf of changes that impact your students — while continuing to teach full time.
- Have a passion for sharing the diverse perspectives and experiences of students and teachers with policymakers.
Application Process
Part 1 – Written Application
The written application asks you to complete general demographic information and short responses. Applications are due June 2, 2025.
Part 2 – Interview
You will be notified by Wednesday, June 4, 2025, if you have been invited to participate in an interview. Interviews will take place June 10-12th via Zoom.
Part 3 – Selection
You will be notified by June 20, 2025, if you have been selected to join the Massachusetts Policy Fellowship. If accepted, you will commit to attending the Fellowship kick-off event.
Mandatory New Fellows Kick-Off Dates
Kick-Off Day 1: (Virtual) Thursday, July 31, 2025 @ 3:00pm-6:00pm via Zoom
Kick-Off Day 2: (In-Person, Downtown Boston) Friday, August 1, 2025 @ 9:30am-4:30pm, Evening Reception from 5pm-6pm
Application Deadline: June 2, 2025
Become a teacher leader
Start your application below to join the Teach Plus Massachusetts Policy Fellowship.
Know a teacher leader?
Nominate a teacher who wants to achieve change in their schools and in the broader education system.
From our Teacher Leaders
"Since joining Teach Plus, I feel empowered and equipped in working toward making changes and improvements to the field of education. This helps me remain positive during a time where educators and students face so many challenges."
“Since joining Teach Plus, I have engaged in meaningful education policy conversations with dedicated practitioners from across the Commonwealth. I've reached out to state and national politicians regarding legislation aimed at empowering educators, and I've taken part in a systematic curriculum review with other Bay State educators for the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Because of my participation in the Teach Plus Massachusetts Policy Fellowship, I've had numerous opportunities to make a positive impact on teaching and learning in our great state.
“Since joining Teach Plus, I have been able to connect and work alongside like-minded educators who are committed to ensuring that ALL students across our commonwealth have increased access to a high-quality education. From the moment I entered the space, there was an immediate call to action to become agents of change by elevating educators' voices and equipping us with the tools to make it happen.”
Meet our Teacher Leaders
Get to know the Teach Plus Massachusetts Policy Fellowship teachers.
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