Bilingual Educators and Accelerated Community to Teacher (BE/ACTT) Program
The BE/ACTT is the first year of our affordable, accessible, and culturally affirming teacher preparation programming. Residing in the Office of Human Resources as part of the Recruitment, Cultivation and Diversity Programs, the BE/ACTT is a component of the district’s overarching strategy to prepare and sustain racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse aspiring educators.
At no cost to participants, we provide coursework and counseling designed to prepare candidates to be culturally affirming, racially literate teachers in Boston’s schools. BE/ACTT is an intensive 12-month program that aims to prepare aspiring teachers to enter the classroom with provisional licensure.
You do not need to be bilingual to join our program! We have a pathway for BOTH bilingual educators and monolingual educators.
Eligibility
To be considered for our program, you must:
Hold a bachelor’s degree (conferred by beginning of program).
Demonstrate experience and/or passion working with youth in an educational or mentoring setting.
Meet all legal requirements to work in the United States.
Reside in Greater Boston.
Coursework:
Cultivating Safe & Productive Classroom Culture— Saturdays, in-person
Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) preparation courses— in-person & virtual
All participants are required to attempt the Communications & Literacy MTEL test while enrolled
RETELL course to earn Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) Endorsement— virtual
Content Methods Course— virtual— in the following areas:
Bilingual Education
Early Childhood Education
Elementary
Secondary ELA/Humanities
Secondary Math/Science
To earn your provisional license in one of the subject areas above, you must pass the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) required for that subject. Learn more about licensure requirements here.
Candidates are required to prepare a hiring portfolio and participate in a pre-practicum experience. For more details on the program, view the “Year at a Glance” here.
Counseling/ Support:
Participants receive guidance from our Aspiring Teacher Coach & Bilingual Inclusive Ed. Coach throughout the program, including:
1:1 support with coursework
Emotional support
Guidance on MTEL preparation and testing
Hiring support from instructors and tutors
BE/ACTT candidates develop their teaching skills in a cohort and learn from highly-skilled teachers and community partners through a rigorous, interactive community-based experience.
Applications for the 2025-2026 school year open in early January 2025