Part of your 2025-26 MASE membership registration will include a place where you can express interest in being part of MASE’s mentor program. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity for personal and professional growth.
Malai Turnbull from Easter Carver County Schools served as a mentor and had the following to say about the experience:
I volunteered to be a mentor because many have supported, helped, and mentored me. I wanted to "pay it forward". It's a wonderful opportunity to connect with, and support other leaders on their journey. This is hard, challenging work, and helping equip other leaders to meet the demands of our leadership positions better ensures the needs of students with disabilities are being met.
Sign up to be paired with another MASE member as a mentor or mentee in your upcoming membership registration.
ONGOING
Cross-Curricular Delivery Permissions Process Changes
PELSB has enacted changes to the Cross-Curricular Delivery Permissions (CCDP) request process. All public school districts and charter schools that are using or applying for a CCDP (including SAAP approved) must submit a program narrative once every five years, effective July 1, 2025.
Public school districts and charter schools should continue to use the current CCDP request form (available on the Special Permissions page), and ensure that one Program Narrative has been submitted for your district or school as required.
Public school districts and charter schools are required to submit one Program Narrative (Section 4) that includes the following:
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Public school district or charter school name.
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Number of years the CCDP program has been used.
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Description of the district or charter school's CCDP program delivery model, including an explanation of how the program aligns to a Cross-Curricular approach.
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What resources the district or charter school is providing to support the teacher in teaching content outside of their licensure area.
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The teacher's role and responsibilities in developing curricula, presenting material, assessing student work, and the teacher's ability to adjust curricula to meet student needs.
This updated process will ensure that the teacher is being provided supports to be successful in teaching outside of their licensure field/scope. This change will reduce time spent on writing a program narrative—with submissions only required every five years, rather than annually. If a CCDP has already been submitted for School Year 2025-2026 without the Program Narrative, the school district or charter school will be contacted by PELSB's Licensure Permission Specialist via email to complete the Program Narrative.
Blue Ribbon Commission on Special Education Now Accepting Applications
The education finance bill passed during the special session included the establishment of a Blue Ribbon Commission on Special Education to identify $250 million in ways to cut costs, create efficiencies, and reduce administrative work related to special education by 2026.
The commission is now accepting applications, offering MASE members a valuable opportunity to engage in this important conversation.
The Governor is appointing members with experience in:
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Special education leadership (districts, co-ops, charters)
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Special education law and finance
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Culturally responsive and innovative practices
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Parent and family advocacy
Visit the Blue Ribbon Commission on Special Education for application details and deadlines.
Upcoming Educator Workforce Grants
The 2025 Legislative Session concluded in June, and the Educator Workforce and Development Center at the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), the Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) and the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) have several competitive grant programs to launch in the coming months. Collectively, these grants seek to recruit and retain a diverse, qualified and thriving educator workforce.
MDE’s teams are working hard to post the grant competitions in the following timeline, subject to change.
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August 2025 = Fiscal Year (FY)26 Educator Tuition Assistance Program (ETAP), formerly Collaborative Urban and Greater Minnesota Educators of Color (CUGMEC) grant and formerly administered at PELSB)
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August 2025 = FY26 and 27 Registered Teacher Apprenticeship (RTAP)
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September 2025 = FY26 and 27 Teacher Residency Program
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October 2025 = FY26 Minnesota Teacher Mentorship and Retention Grant (TMRG) (formerly administered at PELSB)
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October 2025 = FY26 Minnesota Indian Teacher Training Program (MITTP)
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October 2025 = FY26 and FY27 Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) Teacher Shortage Grant
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November 2025 = FY 26 Teacher Pathways Grant
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November 2025 = FY27 Grow Your Own (GYO) grant focusing on teachers of color and American Indian teachers
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January 2026 = FY27 Special Education (SPED) Teacher Pathway Program (formerly Special Education Teacher Pipeline Program)
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January 2026 = FY26 GYO-Early Childhood Educators (GYO-ECE)
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March 2026 = FY27 ETAP Grant
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April 2026 = FY27 TMRG
View a brief description of each grant program.
As each grant opportunity becomes available, MDE will announce the posting in this Educator Workforce Newsletter.
MDE Grant Reviewers Wanted
Are you interested and invested in addressing teacher shortages in Minnesota? Would you be willing to give of your time and talents to serve as a grant reviewer for one or more of these programs?
In a competitive grant process, applications are scored by a team of grant reviewers. Ideal reviewers are educators at any level of the system (preK-12, higher education) who may have some familiarity with teacher preparation programs, designing systems to serve people of color and American Indian people, or both.
Reviewers must complete conflict of interest forms prior to serving. One obvious conflict would be if the institution you or a family member work for are applying for the grant you’d like to review. However, If you are a current grantee or applicant for one of these grants, you could serve as a reviewer for a different grant and still contribute to the process.
If you are interested in serving as a grant reviewer, please send an email to mde.workforcecenter@state.mn.us and provide the following information:
As each competition is launched, the MDE team will reach out with more information about serving as a reviewer for that grant, and you can confirm or decline your participation at that time.
Other News
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Help Shape the Future of MASE Leadership Development! As MASE begins planning next year’s New Directors Cohort and prepares for the return of the Finance Academy, we’re seeking input from current leaders like you. What do you believe future colleagues need to know and experience to be best prepared for the director role? While we understand that nothing can fully prepare someone for the complexities of directorship, your insights will help us create the most meaningful and supportive experience possible. Share your feedback here: https://forms.gle/Vp8ys314MnkEeZar5.
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Join MSSWA for the 2025 MH-SpEd Training on August 11–12 at the Valley View Education Center in Eden Prairie, MN. This two-day training offers essential knowledge on Medicaid Third-Party Billing, ethical documentation, IEP alignment, and sustainable mental health-special education practices. Space is limited to 200 participants, and registration closes July 7, 2025, at 5 p.m. Click here to register and learn more.
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CASE Special Education Leadership Institute - Cohort 2: Applications are open! The Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) recognizes the nationwide concern over the shortage of educational leaders specifically trained to supervise special education programs. As the Voice of Special Education Leadership across the country, CASE is committed to leadership development that will continue to drive the profession forward. Based upon the core values at the heart of CASE, the Leadership Institute provides an opportunity for current and future educational leaders to strengthen their foundation in the components related to the administration of special education programs. For more information and to apply: https://www.casecec.org/special-education-leadership-institute.
