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- Nine Mississippi colleges and universities will help 236 potential educators seek their licensure in elementary or special education.
Efforts to increase the pool of qualified educators in Mississippi got a new boost with the dispersement of more than $2.9 million in grants being awarded to the state’s Teacher Residency Program.
According to the Mississippi Department of Education, the state-appropriated grants are being provided to nine of Mississippi’s institutions of higher learning and will help more than 230 potential educators seek their licensure in elementary or special education.
“I’m always looking for opportunities for the state to help and raise opportunities for teachers. This program helps retain and educate teachers using our current IHL system while ensuring the quality we need in our state,” said State Rep. Rob Roberson (R), chair of the House Education Committee. “MDE has always maintained that quality is the primary goal for teachers and in return we will get quality in the classroom.”
MDE states that the best applicants for the program are licensed educators who seek another endorsement, prospective educators, and those who are already enrolled in an educator preparation program.
This funding will help qualifying applicants with the cost of tuition, books, and other programmatic services.
The program also features mentorship training with a teacher. Other benefits include testing support in seeking licensure and professional development.
“By covering tuition, testing fees, and other expenses, we are removing barriers and paving the way for dedicated individuals to become highly qualified teachers in our elementary schools and special education classrooms,” said Senator Dennis DeBar (R), chair of the Senate Education Committee. “The best thing we can do for a child is ensure they have a good teacher, and these programs will help build a strong pipeline of committed educators who will serve in some of our most underserved communities, shaping brighter futures for our students.”
Program participants are asked to commit to teaching in an area of the state experiencing a teacher shortage.
The nine institutions that received grant funding went through an application process, with total amounts being awarded based on that institution’s proposed budget. Below is a list of the institutions that received grant funding and the total amounts. Two of the institutions are private.
- Delta State University – $280,000
- Jackson State University – $272,417
- Mississippi College – $119,684 (private)
- Mississippi State University – $1,298,981
- Mississippi University for Women – $140,000
- Mississippi Valley State University – $279,000
- University of Mississippi – $242,773
- University of Southern Mississippi – $196,000
- William Carey University – $140,000 (private)
Since the program’s inception in 2019 through a W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant totaling more than $4 million, and a $9.8 million expansion grant two years later in ESSER funding, 287 people have completed the teacher residency program.
MDE states that applications for the program should be made to the college or university itself, rather than through MDE.
Jeremy Pittari
