Jordan School District was recently awarded an exciting opportunity to transform teacher leadership and boost educator retention through the Mentoring and Supporting Teacher Excellence and Refinement (MASTER) Grant Program (Utah Code § 53F-5-222 & USBE Rule R277-332).
Designed specifically for Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and Regional Education Service Agencies (RESAs), the MASTER program provides competitive funding to establish innovative, non-administrative leadership tracks. The goal? Keep our best teachers in the classroom doing what they do best, while giving them structured opportunities to lead, mentor, and grow.
The MASTER Grant is a program designed to help keep great teachers in the classroom by giving them new ways to grow and lead, without having to leave teaching or wait for a promotion. It helps teachers develop leadership skills and gives experienced teachers the chance to guide and support their colleagues.
In Jordan School District, the MASTER Grant pays for a special teacher leadership program, the Jordan Teacher Fellows. Top teachers are chosen to learn about leadership and explore six specific teacher leader roles in Utah. They then create their own project to practice one of these roles, all while still teaching in their classroom. Teachers chosen to participate in the Fellows program earn a stipend, professional recognition, and real-life leadership experience.
Jordan Teacher Fellow program invests in our classroom teachers so they can Lead, Educate, & Inspire.