McKeown School of Education Fund

A well-trained, diverse teacher workforce is needed now more than ever. Our public education system is currently facing a crisis of epic proportions as schools are dealing with severe staffing shortages and general disruption to student learning, a relic of a prolonged pandemic.  

This is our moment to be innovative and to tackle the system’s mounting challenges as we work to foster and cultivate an inclusive community of learners who will eventually take what they have learned and contribute to a global society.  

To grow critical educator diversity in our region’s schools, the Educator-Scholars of Color program was piloted to support early and elementary education undergraduates, encouraging high-achieving Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) students to pursue careers in education. This cohort model quite literally creates a pipeline that directly feeds diverse educators into classrooms on the North Shore and beyond.

Through Meet the Moment™, your support will allow us to sustain this program long-term and expand it to include all BIPOC education majors, build a stronger, more inclusive community and increase student financial awards in a culturally responsive environment.

At the McKeown School of Education, we are creating learning environments and programs where students can deeply engage with the curriculum and culturally sustaining teaching methodologies, because Salem State graduates have a critical role to play in diversifying the teacher pipeline so that our classrooms across the state are more welcoming and inclusive of everyone.

As we continue to respond to workforce and community needs, attrition across the field of education presents a new crisis. PreK-12 teachers are leaving the field in large numbers while school district stability is impacted by the speed of leadership turnover. 

Because of these newly presented circumstances, the McKeown School of Education is committing to imaginative, innovative and effective training across the educator lifespan to better serve and sustain the districts where graduates live and work. 

Capitalizing on Meet the Moment™, the new Center for Educational Leadership seeks to build PreK-12 school district leaders to catalyze equitable learning opportunities for students in Massachusetts public schools and beyond. 

The center’s work will leverage the existing knowledge and skills within the McKeown School of Education to encourage educator leadership development, with a direct focus on supporting teachers and improving outcomes for all students.