Grants & pilots - Professional Educator Standards Board

Through innovative grants and pilot programs PESB is responding to employer workforce demands and expanding the diversity of our state’s educators.

Advancing equity grant

Purpose: The advancing equity grant is a two-year grant designed to address persistent inequities in Washington’s P-12 education system and educator preparation programs.
Grantees: PESB-approved educator preparation programs
Funding: $10,000 a year
Timeline: The application cycle is closed. The 2021-23 advancing equity grant is currently in progress.

Purpose: The alternative route block grant (ARBG) provides funding to support alternative route programs engaging “grow your own” teacher strategies to address district and teacher candidate needs.
Grantees: PESB-approved alternative routes programs
Funding: Programs may apply for between 10 and 30 ARBG funded candidate seats per year. Alternative Routes programs awarded in the 2019 application cycle will receive funding for school years 2020-22.
Timeline: The application cycle is closed. The application to fund school years 2022-24 will open in fall 2021.

Purpose: The educational interpreter grant provides funding for professional development and fees associated with reaching educational interpreter testing requirements.
Grantees: Washington State school districts, tribal schools, state approved private schools, charter schools, and ESDs are eligible to apply.
Funding: $2,000 per per employee or contracted staff service provider in the role of educational interpreter, or those interested in becoming educational interpreters
Timeline: The grant application is due by November 18, 2022.

Purpose: The educational service district (ESD) alternative routes grant provides financial aid to teacher candidates enrolled in one ESD’s Alternative Routes program during school years 2019-20 and 2020-21 to pursue an initial residency teaching certificate.
Grantees: ESDs approved to offer alternative routes
Funding: Funds are awarded to ESD alternative routes program’s teacher candidates in the form of a scholarship
Timeline: The grant application is closed.

Purpose: The computer science for elementary educators grant will help improve student access to computer science and assist elementary educators in implementing computer science learning.
Grantees: All Washington State schools serving P-6 students are eligible to apply. Tribal compact schools, Title 1 schools, and schools using funds to support P-6 students from underserved populations are strongly encouraged to apply.
Funding: $5,000 to purchase computer science tools and resources for educators to use with P-6 students.
Timeline: The grant application is due by February 15, 2022.

Purpose: The LEADER initiative aims to elevate community-driven efforts focused on dismantling institutionalized racism in education and strengthening educator diversity along the educator career continuum in Washington State.
Grantees: Regional collaborations of Educational Service Districts (ESDs), school districts, educator preparation programs, community groups, and Tribal Nations.
Funding: College Spark Washington is investing $13.8 million over eight years to support this initiative. PESB will provide resources, support, and technical assistance.
Timeline: We anticipate sharing additional information in early December 2021.

Purpose: The multiple measures pilot offers greater flexibility for candidates to meet the edTPA requirements. This pilot will help to reduce barriers and allow for more equitable pathways into the teaching profession. A multiple measures process for the edTPA contributes to a culturally responsive and coherent assessment system and ensures a properly credentialed and diverse teacher workforce.
Grantees: Preparation programs may choose whether they would like to participate in the multiple measures pilot. Programs not participating in the pilot would continue to require a passing score of 40 (or 34 for world and classical languages).
Funding: Not applicable.
Timeline: The pilot is currently in progress.

Purpose: Recruiting Washington Teachers (RWT) is a high school teacher academy program, founded in equity pedagogy, that aims to help students explore and prepare for careers in education. RWT programs are possible without grant funding — funding is provided with additional requirements and responsibilities.
Grantees: Washington State school districts and tribal compact schools are eligible to apply.
Funding: Funding amounts vary, with a maximum funding amount of $30,000 per year for new grantees and $20,000 per year for previously awarded grantees.
Timeline: The grant application is closed.

Purpose: Recruiting Washington Teachers – Bilingual Educators Initiative (RWT-BEI) is a high school teacher academy program to recruit, prepare, and mentor bilingual students to become future bilingual educators in the state of Washington.
Grantees: Washington State school districts and tribal compact schools are eligible to apply.
Funding: Funding amounts vary, with a maximum funding amount of $50,000 per year for new grantees and $40,000 per year for previously awarded grantees.
Timeline: This grant application is closed.

Purpose: The Teaching Equity Network is a network of cross-sector collaborators promoting equity in the preparation of future educators, equity in pathways into teaching, and ongoing training around equity and culturally responsive practices for educators.
Grantees: Stakeholders developing and hosting their own “Teaching Equity” events are eligible to apply
Funding: up to $5,000