JET has returned to the southcoast urban school districts of Fall River and New Bedford, after several years of absence, to help paraprofessionals, who want to become licensed teachers in their communities, complete their bachelor’s degrees and teacher licensure.

JET Presents at the Massachusetts Partnership for Diversity in Education Forum (MPDE) February 13, 2019, Regis College

The research is accumulating on the importance of a diverse teaching workforce as this article presents. It highlights the positive outcomes for students of color when they have a teacher who looks like them. It also notes ways to increase diversity within the teaching workforce. JET is doing this work, and the article illuminates the "why" behind our work. Happy reading!

CONGRATULATIONS to EMMANUEL and DEBORAH!!

JET proudly reports that two of its participants in the Boston Public Schools completed their bachelor’s degrees in December 2018 at the University of Massachusetts Boston. One of them also has passed all the necessary MTELs for teacher licensure in Early Childhood. Please read their stories below.

On December 15, 2018, we had our second JET seminar of the academic year. The topic of “Implicit Bias” was introduced by seminar faculty, Casel Walker. Aside from enjoying a holiday potluck and discussing ways in which JET can continue to grow and develop with the help of Janet Smith, the newly engaged outside Program Evaluator for JET, we spent much of our time discussing our own implicit biases and how they can manifest within an educational setting. Though this was only the first part of a series that will continue in February 2019, we felt as if two overarching themes emerged from this seminar: don’t judge a book by its cover; and the need to look inward in order to effectively teach.

A report by Ingersoll, Merrill, Stuckey, and Collins from the University of Pennsylvania (2018), Seven Trends: The Transformation of the Teaching Force – Updated October 2018, analyzed various data sources to answer the question of whether or not the teaching workforce has changed between 1987 and 2016. They found and noted seven particular ways in which the teaching force has changed during this time. Specifically, they said that the teaching workforce has become: grayer, greener, larger, more female, more diverse (by race and ethnicity), consistent in academic ability, and unstable (Ingersoll et. al, 2018). Of particular interest to me were the researchers’ thoughts on how the teaching workforce has become grayer, greener, larger, more female, and more diverse. What exactly do they mean when they say the teaching force has changed in these ways, and what are the implications for JET? Read more to find out.

Currently, the teacher workforce in the United States is predominantly white, despite the growing diversity in the student body (Lindsay, Blom, & Tilsley, 2017). Many researchers have noted the positive results associated with having the diversity of students reflected in their teachers.

JET is excited to announce that it has received funding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. JET receives its funds through the Department of Higher Education. The Department also administers the Massachusetts Paraprofessional Teacher Grant, which JET participants use to complete undergraduate course work for their bachelor’s degrees and become teachers.

This week JET met with the Executive Director, Regina Caines, of the Massachusetts Partnership for Diversity in Education (MPDE). MPDE is 8 years old and JET is 10 years old, yet we only came to know of each other recently

"I always knew I wanted to be a teacher and the main thing that was holding me back was the financial burden." Learn about Emmanuel's experience as a JET program participant and how JET is helping him achieve his dream.