Rashaun Martin

Rashaun Martin served as Managing Director of the Office of Recruitment, Cultivation & Diversity Programs (RCD) at Boston Public Schools. In this role, he led the district's efforts to build a teaching workforce that reflected the rich diversity of Boston's student population — overseeing a portfolio of pipeline programs, partnerships, and retention initiatives that touched every stage of the educator career continuum.

The Office of Recruitment, Cultivation & Diversity

The RCD office operated within BPS's Office of Human Capital and was responsible for designing and managing the district's educator pipeline strategy. The office's work was grounded in a straightforward premise: the most effective way to improve outcomes for Boston's students is to ensure they are taught by skilled, committed educators who understand and reflect their communities. Under Martin's leadership, RCD pursued this goal through several interconnected programs and initiatives.

Expanding Teacher Pipeline Programs

One of Martin's primary accomplishments was expanding the reach and effectiveness of BPS's teacher pipeline programs. These included:

• Accelerated Community to Teacher (ACTT): A no-cost licensure pathway for BPS paraprofessionals and community members, providing MTEL preparation, mentoring, and practicum support
• Bilingual Educators ACTT (BE-ACTT): A specialized track within ACTT for bilingual paraprofessionals seeking certification to teach in dual-language and sheltered English immersion settings
• High School to Teacher Program: A grow-your-own initiative that identified promising BPS high school students interested in education and supported them through college and back into district classrooms
• BPS Teaching Fellowship: A 12-month, practicum-based preparation program and the only district-based DESE-approved initial licensure program in Massachusetts

Each of these programs was designed to address a specific gap in the teacher pipeline, from early identification and cultivation of future educators to accelerated pathways for career changers and community members already working in schools.

Launching Diversity Initiatives

Martin's leadership extended beyond recruitment into the retention and support of educators of color. He oversaw the expansion of several affinity and professional development networks within BPS, including the Male Educators of Color (MEOC) program, the Women Educators of Color (WEOC) initiative, and the School Leaders of Color Network (SLOC). These programs provided community, mentoring, and leadership development for educators who were often underrepresented in their schools and in district leadership.

Under his direction, RCD also invested in data collection and reporting to track progress toward workforce diversity goals. Transparent reporting on the racial and linguistic demographics of the BPS teaching workforce helped the district identify where progress was being made and where additional effort was needed.

Strengthening University and Community Partnerships

Martin recognized that building a diverse and effective teaching workforce required collaboration beyond the district itself. He cultivated relationships with local universities, community organizations, and civic partners to create a broader ecosystem of support for prospective and current educators. These partnerships provided student teaching placements, professional development opportunities, scholarship funding, and recruitment channels that extended BPS's reach into communities across Greater Boston.

Partnerships with teacher preparation programs at local institutions helped align university training with the specific needs and expectations of BPS classrooms. By bringing university partners into closer collaboration with the district, Martin worked to ensure that new teachers entering BPS were prepared for the realities of teaching in a large, diverse urban school system.

Creating Sustainable Pathways

A defining theme of Martin's work at RCD was sustainability. Rather than relying on one-time recruitment drives or short-term programs, he focused on building structures that would continue to produce and support diverse educators over time. The grow-your-own model — identifying potential teachers within the BPS community and investing in their development from the earliest stages — was central to this approach. By investing in people who were already connected to Boston's schools and neighborhoods, RCD created pathways that were more likely to produce long-term, committed BPS educators.