ED Announces $35M Competition to Boost Teacher Pipeline, Increase Diversity and Equity

The U.S. Department of Education today announced it will award $35 million in competitive grants through the Teacher Quality Partnership program, intended to expand the pool of well-prepared new teachers, promote diversity in the educator workforce, and bring a wide range of experiences into the classroom to support students.

The TCP program will award 25 to 30 grants of approximately $1 million to $2 million each for the first year of the five-year program, the department said. Funding for the second through fifth years is subject to the availability of funds and the approval of continuation awards.

Eligible applicants are partnerships that must include a high-need local educational agency, a high-need school served by the LEA, or a high-need early childhood education program; a partner institution; a school, department, or program of education within such partner institution; and a school or department of arts and sciences within such partner institution, according to the ED website. Eligible partnerships must implement either teacher preparation programs at the pre-baccalaureate or “fifth-year” level, or teacher residency programs for individuals who are recent graduates with strong academic backgrounds or are mid-career professionals from outside the field of education.

Applications and details of the grant program were posted today at the TCP page on the ED website; applicants are “strongly encouraged” to submit a notice of intent to apply by March 28, 2022. Deadline to submit applications and the required supplemental documentation is April 26, 2022.

The TCP program lists four competitive preference priorities for applicants:

  • Priority 1: Projects must be designed to address identified teacher shortage areas and developed and implemented in partnership with historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, and other minority-serving institutions, in order to diversify the teacher pipeline.
  • Priority 2: Projects that propose to support a diverse educator workforce that is prepared with the necessary certification and credentialing to teach in shortage areas, while recognizing the teachers' needs in the high-need schools to be served by the proposed project.
  • Priorities 3 and 4: Projects that propose to meet students’ social, emotional, and academic needs and support projects that propose to promote equity in student access to educational resources and opportunities. These competitive preference priorities recognize the social, emotional, and academic needs of teacher candidates, as well as the importance of preparing those teachers to create inclusive, supportive, equitable, unbiased, and identity-safe learning environments for their students.

Assistance for applicants, FAQs and webinars on completing the application documents is available at the TCP website.

About the Author

Kristal Kuykendall is editor, 1105 Media Education Group. She can be reached at [email protected].


Featured

  • split-screen digital illustration of two AI-influenced classrooms

    What AI Gets Right and How It Will Be Used in the Year Ahead

    AI has tremendous potential to do good in education while honoring and upholding the essential role of teachers. However, its success will depend on how we choose to use it.

  • DreamBox Math

    Discovery Education Announces Updates to Experience, DreamBox Math

    K-12 learning solution provider Discovery Education has announced enhancements to its Discovery Education Experience and DreamBox Math products, designed to create a more personalized, engaging learning experience for students.

  • The AI Show

    Register for Free to Attend the World's Greatest Show for All Things AI in EDU

    The AI Show @ ASU+GSV, held April 5–7, 2025, at the San Diego Convention Center, is a free event designed to help educators, students, and parents navigate AI's role in education. Featuring hands-on workshops, AI-powered networking, live demos from 125+ EdTech exhibitors, and keynote speakers like Colin Kaepernick and Stevie Van Zandt, the event offers practical insights into AI-driven teaching, learning, and career opportunities. Attendees will gain actionable strategies to integrate AI into classrooms while exploring innovations that promote equity, accessibility, and student success.

  • A geometric pattern of open Chromebook computers with bold outlines, subtle shading, and soft gradients, spaced evenly with vibrant green and blue accents on a neutral background.

    Challenges and Opportunities Ahead for the 'Great Chromebook Refresh'

    During the pandemic, the education community scrambled to provide students with laptops to promote online learning equity and mitigate learning loss. Today, those devices are approaching the end of their useful lives — and a "great Chromebook refresh" has been predicted as schools seek to replace them with newer models.