by Reagan Reese
The Department of Education (DOE) is giving about $25 million in grants to several universities to help them hire and train a “diverse educator workforce,” according to a Sept. 12 press release.
The DOE partnered with Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP), a group that works on preparing higher education faculty, to provide 22 new five-year grants to several universities, including three historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), according to the press release. The institutions receiving grants will work with TQP to “recruit highly qualified individuals, including individuals of color” for educator positions.
To qualify for the grants, universities must either demonstrate that the money will go to projects which will “increase educator diversity,” or “address identified teacher shortage areas” so they may “diversify the teacher pipeline,” according to the notice for applications. Universities can qualify for the grant if they propose projects which support teachers who have faced “inequity” in education.
If the university proposes projects which focus on creating an “inclusive, supportive, equitable, unbiased and identity-safe learning environments” by prioritizing student’s social and emotional well-being, the institution qualifies for the grant, the notice for applications stated.
Under the grant program, High Point University is receiving more than $2 million, the University of South Carolina is receiving about $1.1 million and the University of North Florida is receiving more than $1 million, the DOE press release showed.
One in five teachers are teachers of color, whereas half of the students in K-12 schools are of color, the notice for application stated. The DOE said “diverse educators will play a critical role in ensuring equity.”
“At the U.S. Department of Education, we recognize the value of supporting our nation’s educators, and we have a responsibility to providing resources and opportunities that promote a diverse educator workforce,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a press release. “These programs help prepare, place, develop and retain effective teachers and leaders in our schools and classrooms. Our students need quality educators now more than ever to address their academic and mental health needs.”
The DOE and TQP did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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Reagan Reese is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.
