2026-27 Massachusetts Policy Fellowship Application

Please note: After June 2, applicants working in early childhood education through kindergarten will be considered.

Eligibility Requirements

Please indicate that you meet all of these qualifications before proceeding:

I am a current teacher of record AND / OR I am an Early Childhood Educator (which may include: Early Childhood Educator, Family Childcare Business Owner, Early Childhood Center Director, or Early Childhood Provider).I will have at least two (2) years of experience as an educator by July 2026.I plan to remain an educator from July 2026 - July 2027.

I meet the qualifications above and am ready to continue my application.

Our Fellowship Kick-Off event will be Monday, July 27 via Zoom and Tuesday, July 28 in-person in downtown Boston. Attendance is mandatory. Will you be able to attend?

*If you click Save my progress and resume later, the page will reload. Scroll down to "Resume later" and enter your email and a password. You will receive an email with a link to continue your application.

Page 1 of 3: Personal Information

Personal Information

First Name

Last Name

Street Address

City

State

Zip

Preferred Email Address Type

To ensure you receive Teach Plus communications promptly, we strongly recommend using a personal email address.

Work/School Email

Confirm Email Address

Personal Email

Confirm Email Address

Alternate Email

Primary Phone

Mobile Phone

Gender Identity

If "Identity not listed" is selected, please specify

What pronouns do you use? For example: They/Them, She/Her, He/Him

Ethnicity

Select all that apply. To select multiple responses on a PC hold "Ctrl", on a Mac hold the Command key (next to the space bar).

Tribal Affiliation (Optional):

If "Ethnicity not listed" is selected, please specify

Do you identify as a person of color?

(i.e., Black, Indigenous, Latino/a/x, Asian, Pacific Islander, and/or of other global majority race or ethnicity)

Would you like to receive updates from Teach Plus?

Teach Plus Blog (highlighting teacher voice)

News Blast (weekly)

Teach Plus Massachusetts Monthly Newsletter

*If you click Save my progress and resume later, the page will reload. Scroll down to "Resume later" and enter your email and a password. You will receive an email with a link to continue your application.

Page 2 of 3: Teaching Information

Teaching Information

Teaching Status

Note: You must be a current teacher in order to be considered for this opportunity.

If "Other", please explain

Which county do you currently teach in?

Please select the County in which your school facility is located, regardless of school type.

County Text

Name of the school where you currently teach

Please use the search bar to find your school name from the directory. Please use multiple attempts by trying different iterations (i.e., "ML," "King," "Martin Luther") as directory listings may not always match common usage.

My school is not listed

School not listed?

School Name

Please type full name

School Address

City

State

Zip

District

School Type

If "Other", please explain

Grade Level Currently Teaching

Current Grade(s) teaching

Hold control (PC) or command (Mac) to select multiple grades

Main Subject(s) Teaching

Hold control (PC) or command (Mac) to select multiple subjects

Other Subject(s)

Please select percentage of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch in your school (or are low-income).

Years of teaching experience you will have completed by July 2026

How did you hear about the Teaching Policy Fellowship?

Name of the person who referred you

Please specify how you heard.

Where did you receive the majority of your teacher training prior to entering the classroom?

Please Specify (Teacher Training Other)

Have you achieved National Board Certification?

Have you been awarded State Teacher of the Year?

For which State?

Please provide the year(s) you were State Teacher of the Year.

Are you a member of your local or state teachers union or association?

If yes, please enter union name here.

Please indicate any positions or offices you hold within the teachers' association (if you hold no offices, please put N/A)

Please indicate any significant education-related awards you have received in the past 24 months.

Who represents you? (Optional)

District number for State Upper Chamber (for home address):

District number for State Lower Chamber (for home address):

District number for State Upper Chamber (for work address):

District number for State Lower Chamber (for work address):

Not sure what your Districts are?
Visit https://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/ to find out

*If you click Save my progress and resume later, the page will reload. Scroll down to "Resume later" and enter your email and a password. You will receive an email with a link to continue your application.

Page 3 of 3: Essay Questions & Resume

Essay Questions

For the questions below, we are offering two options for completing them:

Complete them in written format in space provided below.
Submit a video response to each of the questions. If you choose this option, share a link to your video in the corresponding open response box.
Tips for Recording Yourself on Video
Make a video in Clips (Apple devices)
Record a video on an Android device

Note: Both options will be evaluated by the same standards and there are no advantages to any format. We are trying to make this application as accessible as possible to all applicants.

1.Why are you interested in this program and what are you hoping to gain from this experience? How will your participation in our fellowship program enhance your long-term professional goals? (100-150 words or up to 3 minute video)

2. Please review our Equity Focus Areas at Teach Plus. Choose one of the areas and explain, using evidence, how your school or classroom has been challenged in this area. What is a potential systemic solution to this challenge, and how would this solution impact your classroom/students? (150-200 words or up to 3 minute video)

3. Teach Plus is committed to realizing a vision for our educational system that is racially inclusive, equitable, and diverse. What is a meaningful inequity impacting your students? (150-200 words or up to 3 minute video)

Please select from one of the following two questions:

1. Please select one of the policy focus areas from the list below and share two ways teachers/educators could work towards advocating for change and success at the local and/or state level in Massachusetts.

1. Diversifying the Workforce and Workforce Development

2. High-Quality Competency Determination

3. Early Education Advocacy

4. Advocacy for Historically Marginalized Students and Educators and Systemic Impacts of Curriculum and Policies

5. Restructuring Teaching and Learning

2. 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 will work to support and bridge state policy with impacts and needs at the district and classroom level in regards to best practices. Teach Plus MA’s goal is by 2030, at least 60% of students in 8th grade in Massachusetts will meet or exceed grade-level expectations in reading proficiency with reduced racial, socioeconomic, linguistic and disability-based disparities reduced by at least 20% from 2025 baselines, as measured by MCAS and NAEP where applicable. We have identified the need to continue advocacy work in the areas of:

workforce development

family engagement

Inclusive curriculum and inclusive practices for multilingual students and students with disabilities

literacy gains from birth through twelfth grade

supporting adolescent literacy gap recovery

Which of these focus points do you connect with most deeply, and how can you help advance the work? Please be sure to mention if you have specific literacy certification(s), if your district has participated in specific literacy initiatives, or any other relevant experiences you have had to provide educator insight into your work.

Resume

Your resume should succinctly (two pages or less) tell the story of how your related experiences, informal and formal leadership experience, and your accomplishments make you a great candidate for the fellowship. If you do not have a current resume, here are some resources to help you build this useful professional tool:

Article on what to include in your resume (new teachers vs. those with many years experience)

ResumeGenius - a free on-line resume builder

Google Docs Resume Templates

Microsoft Word Resume Templates

Please upload your resume in PDF format

*If you click Save my progress and resume later, the page will reload. Scroll down to "Resume later" and enter your email and a password. You will receive an email with a link to continue your application.