FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Susan Hammons–Sept. 10, 2004
(936) 468-2041

SFA to train teachers for rural districts with federal grant

Rural East Texas school districts seeking fully certified teachers just received a helping hand through a $2.1 million No Child Left Behind grant to Stephen F. Austin State University from the U.S. Department of Education.

Secretary of Education Rod Paige and U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison both announced Friday that the Nacogdoches university will receive the grant to recruit and retain highly qualified teachers for high-need schools.

SFA’s grant is one of 32 worth $18.3 million in 13 states and the District of Columbia that the Education Department will award this year.

Dr. John Jacobson, dean of the College of Education, said SFA has formed the Consortium for Excellence in Rural Teacher Education Preparation (CERT-Prep) with 17 rural school districts in East Texas. Using Transition to Teaching funds, the school districts and the university will target people with degrees and significant career experience, recent college graduates and retired military personnel, as well as highly qualified paraprofessionals, such as teachers’ aides, who already may be working in the schools.

Jacobson said the goal is to train more than 200 teachers over the five years of the grant. “Instruction will be offered both online and face-to-face,” he said. “The grant also will provide for mentors out in the field.”

SFA’s state-approved undergraduate and post-graduate certification programs will be enhanced to allow students to more quickly complete core courses in elementary and secondary education areas. Emphasis will be placed on preparing teachers with math, science, bilingual and Spanish certifications.

Those chosen for the program will each receive a scholarship of more than $5,000, Jacobson said. The university anticipates beginning the program in spring 2005, but is not yet taking applications.

Consortium school districts include Alba-Golden, Alto, Big Sandy, Chireno, Gilmer, Longview, Lufkin, Malakoff, Marshall, Nacogdoches, Newton, Ore City, San Augustine, Tyler, West Sabine and Woodville.