Montclair State says Department of Education terminated Teacher Quality Partnership grant; Newark and Orange districts face teacher‑preparation gap

Montclair State University representatives told a joint Senate–Assembly higher education hearing that the U.S. Department of Education abruptly terminated a Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) grant on Feb. 13, 2025, leaving Montclair and partner districts to cover costs and putting teacher preparation supports at risk.

Tanya Maloney, associate professor of teaching and learning and co‑director of Montclair's Urban Teacher Residency and the Newark Teacher Project, said the terminated five‑year, $3.7 million award funded the 18‑month residency program that has produced 140 dual‑certified teachers (initial certification plus special education) across three grant cycles. The program, Maloney said, required graduates to teach in Newark — and underwrote induction supports that include 100 coaching hours per graduate for three years.

"Ninety‑five percent of our graduates stay in education for three years, and 99 percent earn effective or highly effective ratings," Maloney told the committees. She said the termination was justified by the department on the grounds that the grant supported programs "that promote or take part in DEI initiatives or other initiatives that unlawfully discriminate," language Montclair disputes in practice.

Montclair officials said the department's action immediately shifted financial responsibility for recent program expenditures from the federal government to the university and participating districts. Montclair drew down funds before the termination and continued to support enrolled residents; that spending, officials said, now represents an uncompensated cost to the university and to districts already operating with constrained budgets.

Maloney outlined specific personnel and program impacts: two full‑time professional staff positions at Montclair that support programming; seven induction coaches who deliver the 100 coaching hours; one graduate student worker; and Montclair faculty time devoted to supervision and curriculum. "The burden of the funding has been transferred" to Montclair and partner districts, she said.

The committee's members pressed state officials and Montclair for potential remedies and asked whether the state could restore or backfill the lost federal support. Witnesses urged state advocacy for restoring federal TQP funding and continued support for state teacher‑development grants, such as New Jersey's minority teacher development programs, to mitigate the loss.

Montclair's testimony was the clearest specific example at the hearing of how federal actions can produce immediate operational and financial strain on a teacher‑preparation pipeline serving urban districts. The termination also raised questions about whether similarly worded grant language nationwide could prompt additional funding reviews or terminations for programs focused on teacher diversity and urban education.

Committee chairs requested further documentation from Montclair on expenditures, drawdown dates and student/cohort counts to inform possible state responses. No formal committee action was taken at the hearing.