LMU Awarded $6.9M Federal Grant to Recruit and Prepare Teachers and Leaders

The Teacher Quality Partnership grant will fund innovative programs that combine the preparation of new teachers with school leaders to support communities in Los Angeles and beyond

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Loyola Marymount University's School of Education has been awarded a $6.9 million grant from the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor – the largest in the school's history – to launch an innovative initiative designed to recruit and prepare highly qualified teachers and educational leaders in schools that support underserved communities across Los Angeles.

The effort is designed to address persistent shortages of fully credentialed teachers and instructional leaders in these schools, while also improving student achievement, especially in the critical subjects of literacy and mathematics.

The Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) grant will fund a five-year project, titled "Learning, Teaching, and Leading Together," led by LMU in partnership with Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, which leads a consortium of six charter school networks. The initiative will support roughly 8,700 students across 22 local education agencies and districts. Participating schools have large proportions of students from underserved populations, including low-income households, multilingual learners, and students with disabilities. 

"This effort exemplifies LMU's commitment to co-designing solutions to the challenges faced by schools in our community," said Estela Zarate, Ph.D., dean of the LMU School of Education. "Together with our partners, we're moving the field of education forward with innovative, learner-centered methods to prepare the next generation of educators and school leaders."

"The Teacher Quality Partnership grant will expand LMU's ability to prepare outstanding educators and create more pathways into the teaching profession," added Kat Weaver, executive vice president and provost. "The effort aligns with LMU's mission to advance educational opportunities and strengthen communities through partnerships, service, and scholarship."

"Learning, Teaching, and Leading Together" will be led by co-principal investigators Sarah Seinfeld, M.A. '10, Ed.D., interim director of teacher preparation at LMU, and Manuel Ponce Jr., Ed.D. '13, director of LMU's educational leadership preparation program. The award will fund the preparation of approximately 80 teachers and 30 school leaders, as well as the development of a comprehensive model that combines teacher residency, leadership development, mentoring, and induction support.

The proposal to prepare teachers and school leaders through a unified development pathway is an innovative and distinguishing feature of the project. Teacher residents will participate in clinically rich, job-embedded residencies that pair coursework with immersive classroom-based experiences.

"Teacher residencies are effective spaces of learning and innovation, with research showing numerous benefits for the whole school community," said Seinfeld. "This grant allows us to develop targeted programming for what we've already seen happen in schools that operate effective residencies."

Alongside teacher residents, aspiring principals and other educational leaders will develop instructional leadership skills through authentic experiences, said Ponce. They will have the opportunity to serve as mentor teachers, instructional coaches, leaders of academic improvement efforts within school environments, and induction mentors for novice teachers.

"Strong support from school leaders has been demonstrated to improve teacher effectiveness and retention, which in turn have a positive impact on student achievement and success," said Ponce.

"Learning, Teaching, and Leading Together" will also emphasize evidence-based instruction in literacy and mathematics, including summer learning opportunities that provide academic support to K-12 students while giving educator candidates additional hands-on experiences.

The initiative builds upon LMU's established partnership with Camino Nuevo Charter Academy to grow the Avance Teacher Residency Los Angeles. In the past three years, this program has prepared more than 40 teachers to work in schools who are part of the consortium: Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, Equitas Academy, Para Los Niños Charter Schools, New Los Angeles Charter Schools, STEM Prep Schools, and Watts Learning Center. "We're proud to deepen our partnership with LMU following our successful collaboration to launch the Avance Residency," said Adriana Abich, chief executive officer of the Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, LMU's lead partner for the TQP grant. "We are excited to build a stronger pipeline of educator talent ready to make a lasting impact on our students, schools, and communities."

The five-year initiative also supports federal efforts to address educator shortages by creating affordable, community-rooted pathways into teaching and educational leadership.

About Loyola Marymount University

Loyola Marymount University is ranked eighth among California's private colleges and universities and 12th among the country's Catholic schools in the latest edition of U.S. News and World Report's Best Colleges. LMU is the 60th best private institution nationwide. Founded in 1911 and rooted in the Catholic, Jesuit, and Marymount traditions, LMU enrolls 7,100 undergraduates and 3,000 graduate and law students across seven colleges and schools. The university offers 56 undergraduate majors, 57 minors, 43 master's degree programs, three doctorate programs, and 12 credential/authorization programs. With top-ranked programs in law, film and television, entrepreneurship, business, and the arts, LMU is embedded in the creative, cultural, and economic life of Los Angeles. The university generates $1.4 billion in annual economic impact. A proud member of the West Coast Conference, LMU fields 14 NCAA Division I teams and competes with purpose, pride, and integrity. LMU news and events are found at: www.lmu.edu/news.

About LMU School of Education

Loyola Marymount University's School of Education prepares purpose-driven educators, leaders, and mental health professionals who transform schools and communities. Our programs combine rigorous, research-backed academics with hands-on learning, personalized mentorship, and a commitment to equity and human dignity. Through close partnerships with PK-12 schools, districts, and community organizations, we bridge scholarship, research, and practice to co-form solutions to their most complex challenges. Learn more at soe.lmu.edu and read the school's most recent news at newsroom.lmu.edu/college/soe.

About Camino Nuevo Charter Academy

Founded in 2000, Camino Nuevo Charter Academy is a network of free public charter schools serving TK-12th grade students and their families throughout Central Los Angeles. We educate students in a college preparatory program to be literate, critical thinkers, and independent problem solvers who are agents of social justice with sensitivity toward the world around them.

SOURCE Loyola Marymount University