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FUSE Fellowship — Administrator Advocacy/Support Email Template

Subject: An Opportunity to Support Student Engagement Through the FUSE Fellowship

Dear [Principal/Superintendent Name],

One of the things I appreciate most about working in this district is that we share a genuine commitment to helping every student succeed. I'm writing because I've found a fellowship that I believe gives teachers like me the science and support to act more effectively on that commitment — and I'd love your support to join.

The Fellowship Using the Science of Engagement (FUSE) is a two-year professional development program developed by Dr. David Yeager at the University of Texas at Austin. It's grounded in a simple but important insight: a large body of rigorous research on how adolescents learn and stay engaged exists — but most teachers haven't had the time, structured curriculum, or collaborative network to put it to use in their classrooms. FUSE was built to change that.

Fellows work through a library of practices drawn from cognitive and developmental science — how memory actually works, how retrieval practice builds durable understanding, how to build a classroom culture where students see mistakes as part of learning, and how the language we use around exams and grades shapes whether students lean in or check out. These aren't abstract theories. They're strategies developed and refined by Texas teachers in real classrooms, with real students.

The results are meaningful. A randomized controlled trial found that FUSE reduced teacher burnout by 50%. Students in FUSE classrooms show measurable gains in engagement.

To learn more about the program, visit fuse.prc.utexas.edu or read teacher stories and research updates on the FUSE Substack at fuseteach.substack.com.

Here's what the commitment looks like:

  • A virtual summer Professional Learning Institute, where I'd join more than 200 teachers beginning this work together
  • Student Engagement Modules delivered to students throughout the year, generating real-time data on how instructional changes are affecting engagement in our classroom
  • 2 full-day Professional Learning Institutes during the school year (October and February — virtual or in-person, with make-up options)
  • 4 virtual coaching sessions of 60 minutes each (September, November, January, April), scheduled outside the school day

Most of the school-year commitment is flexible and virtual. The two full-day PLIs would require classroom coverage, which I'd like to coordinate with you in advance.

For 6th–9th grade math teachers in Texas public and charter schools who join this summer and attend the July 28–30 PLI, there is no cost to the district.

I believe this fellowship would help me grow as a teacher in ways that directly benefit our students. I'd welcome the chance to talk through any questions you have.

Thank you for investing in this with me,

[Teacher Name] 

[School] 

[Grade/Subject]

If you'd like to learn more or are ready to support my joining FUSE, please feel free to reach out directly to Ryan Smith, Director of FUSE, at ryan.smith@utexas.edu.