Procurement #254: Teachers of Tomorrow / TOTSMBE 2026-2030
The Teachers of Tomorrow / TOTSMBE grant funds New York school districts to recruit, retain, and certify teachers in shortage areas, especially in science, math, and bilingual education, with a focus on low-performing schools.
Funder: New York State Education Department
Due Dates: June 5, 2026 (Questions) | June 17, 2026 (Notice of Intent recommended) | July 1, 2026 (Full application, 5:00 PM ET)
Funding Amounts: $100M total over four years; typically $25M/year: $20M/year for Program One, $5M/year for Program Two; individual award caps and typical amounts by program (see below).
Summary: Supports New York school districts in recruiting, retaining, and certifying teachers—especially in shortage areas and low-performing schools—through a variety of incentives and reimbursement programs.
Key Information: Only school districts (not individual researchers or IHEs) are eligible; districts must serve shortage/low-performing schools.
Description
The Teachers of Tomorrow / TOTSMBE grant is a major New York State initiative to address teacher shortages by providing funding to eligible school districts for recruiting, retaining, and certifying qualified teachers. The program especially supports schools designated as low-performing or experiencing shortages in specific subject areas such as science, mathematics, bilingual education, and English as a new language (ENL). There are two main components:
- Program One: Competitive grants for a range of recruitment and training activities, including recruitment incentives, internships, master teacher stipends, tuition reimbursement, summer training, and transitional certification support.
- Program Two: Allocational grants for tuition reimbursement to attract and certify teachers in science, mathematics, bilingual education, and ENL for service in shortage areas.
The program prioritizes early learning and early childhood education and targets districts and schools most affected by teacher and subject shortages.
