Invest in diverse local teachers 

Help build the strong, diverse teacher workforce that Massachusetts students need.

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Case for Support

Stop 1: About Us

 Our mission: JET helps build community-based, paraeducator-to-teacher pipelines to diversify the educator workforce. We prioritize working with communities where the ethnic-racial diversity of the student population does not align with the ethnic-racial composition of the teacher workforce. JET enhances economic mobility and professional opportunity for paraeducators, helping them transform their lives and those they serve.

  • Who we serve:  Massachusetts paraeducators in public and charter schools within high needs districts, who do not yet have degrees or licensure, as well as licensed educators across the state who serve as their mentors.

  • Our network of support:

    Higher Education Institutions with formal agreements

    • Northeastern University

    • Springfield College

    • DUET Program at Southern New Hampshire University

  • Professional Development Community Organizations partnerships

    • Making the Grade Project 

      • Delivers Robust Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure Prep with a 92% passing rate.

    • NOVL LLC 

      • Delivers personalized 1:1 career readiness support to those we serve.

    • Center for Black Educator Development

      • Delivers culturally responsive professional development that empowers mentors and mentees alike to transform their educational practices.

Stop 2: Our Impact: How are We Supporting People?

  • Scholar tracks: Scholars must participate in at least one programming track each academic year to remain active in JET. We offer the following three tracks: 1:1 mentorship, professional development, and peer cohort gatherings. This requirement is designed to help bridge barriers that scholars face on their path to earning degrees and licensure.

    • 81% of JET Scholars from the 2024-25 school year are returning for the 2025-26 school year

  • Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure Prep and Vouchers: We offer Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure prep and vouchers to reduce one of the biggest barriers to teacher licensure: the financial burden of test fees. 

  • Professional Development Point Provider: As a DESE-appointed provider of professional development points, we support our licensed mentor educators in renewing their licensure, advancing their careers, helping with teacher retention, and strengthening their ability to serve diverse student populations.

    • 88% of JET Mentors from the 2024-25 school year are returning for the 2025-26 school year (not due to lack of interest, but due to increasing work demands at their school sites).

JET Alumnus and Board Member

 

Stop 3: Scholar Story

“The main reason I joined JET was financial. But the encouragement and motivation JET provided became important… JET has allowed me to achieve what I wanted: becoming a teacher.”
— Emmanuel Limage, Pre-K - K teacher, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. K-8 School, Boston

Stop 4: What Does Funding Support?

  • Scholar programming: Our scholar programming includes monetized incentives for participation in Scholar Tracks. Programming outcomes include:

    • Systems to reduce financial barriers;

    • Personalized, self-paced Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure preparation in partnership with the organization Making the Grade Project;

    • Individualized 1:1 career readiness coaching provided by NOVL Consulting;

“Thanks to the JET program, every day, I find myself getting closer to my goal of completing my studies, and I know how challenging and rewarding the journey can be. It’s a reminder that with each small step, we’re making progress, even when it feels daunting. We’re all in this together, striving for our dreams.” - JET Scholar

    • Scholar Support Fund: Through our Scholar Support Fund, we paid off account-hold debt for Scholars, reimbursed Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure costs, and provided Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure vouchers  — all of which helps them continue their studies and progress toward licensure.

“When I received an email stating that I owed, I literally started crying. I really didn’t think I would be returning back to school anytime soon. Receiving these funds saved me from taking out a personal loan from the bank or asking a family member to borrow the money. JET has been extremely great to me because they truly support all scholars in the program mentally, financially, and show support in any way they can. Without JET, there wouldn’t be a lot of future educators on the rise.” - JET Scholar

    • Mentorship: This year, we standardized mentor compensation to ensure fair and equitable pay, moving away from inconsistent district-based funding. We also partnered with the Center for Black Educator Development to provide professional development modules focused on transforming educational practices through a culturally proficient lens.

“Allowing my scholar to give me feedback helped me adjust my mentoring style to be more supportive and collaborative. Because my scholar felt safe enough to share, our sessions became more personalized and effective. JET’s professional development has taught me that when a scholar feels seen and heard, they’re more likely to grow—and honoring their voice and lived experiences can be a powerful part of that process.”- JET Mentor

 
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