ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore today announced new initiatives to strengthen Maryland’s teacher workforce while uplifting young men and boys, including the opening of $19 million in expanded Grow-Your-Own Educators Grant Program awards to create stronger pathways for non-licensed school staff to become full-time teachers. Through the Moore-Miller Administration’s strategic investments in teacher recruitment and retention initiatives, statewide teacher vacancies have seen a dramatic reduction of nearly 50 percent over the past year—from 1,619 vacancies in the 2024-25 school year to 886 in the 2025-26 school year.
“Through our strategic investments, Maryland has cut the teacher shortage in half—but we still have work to do,” said Gov. Moore. “Today, we accelerate our push to close the educator shortage by leveraging an untapped resource in our state: Maryland’s young men and boys. By making the choice to invest in our educators and our schools, our administration is helping every educator pursue their dream of teaching and inspiring the next generation.”
To most effectively fill gaps in the teacher workforce and simultaneously uplift young men and boys, Governor Moore announced that the Grow-Your-Own program will award priority consideration to applicants with a demonstrated plan for recruiting and retaining male educators—who currently represent only 23 percent of the state’s teacher workforce. Prioritizing the recruitment of male educators advances the governor’s work to support young men and boys by fostering opportunities for mentorship as well as social and emotional development in the classroom.
“These initiatives will help Maryland recruit and retain the excellent teachers our students deserve,” said State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carey M. Wright. “By equipping educators with the tools, knowledge, and networks they need to succeed, we are not only improving instruction, we are building a stronger, more resilient educator workforce. Together, we are working to ensure our next generation of teachers has every opportunity to serve, lead, and inspire.”
To further advance the work to uplift men and boys, the governor announced a new partnership between Maryland’s Young Men and Boys Initiative within the Governor’s Office of Children and the American Institutes for Research (AIR). Formalized through a three-year memorandum of understanding, the institute will provide research, evaluation, and technical assistance to Maryland’s work to support men and boys. This partnership will be supported through a $6 million commitment of philanthropic support from the AIR Opportunity fund.
“Teacher shortages and the need for more men in the classroom are real—and solvable,” said AIR Opportunity Fund Executive Director Dr. Rashawn Ray. “Through our partnership with the State of Maryland, AIR will lift up best practices and proven methods delivered by rigorous evidence that increase recruitment of teachers and provide strong on-ramps into the teaching profession. This is Maryland at its best—public leaders, educators, families, and research partners pulling in the same direction.”
The Grow-Your-Own Educators Grant Program was expanded through the Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act, which takes additional steps to address the teacher shortage by developing fully licensed teachers through recruitment campaigns and supporting debt-free pathways to teacher licensure. Today’s announcement marks the first round of fully expanded grants.
The Moore-Miller Administration continues to make recruiting and retaining educators a top priority. In response to federal workforce layoffs and firings, the governor launched the Feds to Eds initiative to strengthen federal workers’ pathways into teaching careers. Governor Moore also recently announced Maryland’s first state-sponsored registered apprenticeship program for teaching and launched the Teacher Quality and Diversity Grant program, which will provide $1 million to programs to diversify and strengthen teaching programs. Additionally, the Moore-Miller Administration launched a new partnership with teach.org, which will strengthen Maryland’s national recruitment campaign to bring both licensed and prospective teachers to the state.
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