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Gov. Wes Moore (D) announced Tuesday the release of $19 million in grants toward a program to not only decrease the state鈥檚 teacher shortage, but also entice more men into the teaching profession.

The money for the Grow Your Own initiative is allocated in this year鈥檚 budget through the that Moore signed into law this year.

The initiative focuses on expanding teacher and staff pipelines, boosting diversity in the profession and establishing apprenticeships. But Moore emphasized the first round of grants in the Grow Your Own program will focus on bringing in more men to teach in the public schools. According to the governor鈥檚 office, about 23% of the state鈥檚 teachers are men.

Compared to the federal government, which is busy 鈥渃oming up with creative ways to try to dismantle public education,鈥� Maryland is going in a different direction, Moore said. And he had a message for out-of-state educators and fired federal workers: 鈥�.鈥�

鈥淚n Maryland, we鈥檙e just choosing to move differently,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n Maryland, we鈥檙e going to work together in order to ensure that education continues to serve as not just the foundation, but the launch pad for everything we hope for in our society.鈥�

State Superintendent , who Moore called 鈥渢he LeBron James of education,鈥� summarized a few education initiatives that cut teacher vacancies nearly in half from 1,619 in the 2024-25 school year to 886 in this year. One of those initiatives is a $2,000 relocation grant to attract out-of-state licensed teachers.

As for the Grow Your Own initiative, Wright said it prioritizes programs that leverage on-the-job training and mentorship and on working to recruit men into the profession.

One of those men who participated in the program, , attended Tuesday鈥檚 announcement.

Before Beard鈥檚 seven years as a high school social studies teacher in Frederick County, he said he worked 10 years as a special education paraprofessional, also called an 鈥淓SP鈥� or education support professionals.

鈥淢y message to ESPs out there: Take advantage of the Grow Your Own program that is out here in our district,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou definitely won鈥檛 regret it, and you won鈥檛 regret your decision.鈥�

Also on Tuesday, the governor announced a partnership between the American Institute for Reseearch and the state鈥檚 Young Men and Boys initiative within the Governor鈥檚 Office of Children.

The partnership will be come through a $6 million, three-year memorandum of understanding under which the institute will provide research, evaluation and technical assistance to the state鈥檚 work on supporting men and boys.

Hagerstown high school senior Damir Wade, 18, who seeks to become a future educator, is also part of the state鈥檚 apprenticeship program. Wade not only supports teachers in the classroom at an elementary school, but he also helps with math intervention with fourth and fifth grade students.

After the nearly 50-minute news conference, Wade said in a brief interview that he鈥檚 had fewer than five male teachers, and no Black male teachers, throughout his school life.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very rare to see,鈥� Wade said about male teachers in the classroom. 鈥淚 just want to be that person that people can look up to, and maybe they can go into education. They can see how important their education is, to take it more seriously [and] to open more doors for their future.鈥�

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: [email protected].

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