STEPP grant is one of several programs aimed at recruiting, retaining teachers
By Juliann Morris and Mark Hebert
June 14, 2023 – A $293,110 grant is helping individuals with a connection to Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) earn their teacher certification through tuition assistance and Praxis exam support.
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) awarded JCPS a two-year Support Teacher Engagement and Professional Pipeline (STEPP) Grant to help the district strengthen its local teacher recruitment pipeline.
Current JCPS paraprofessional staff, instructional staff, substitute teachers, alumni and parents are eligible to participate.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to help eligible individuals who want to teach but might have faced barriers to completing their certification in the past,” said Dr. Aimee Green-Webb, JCPS chief of human resources. “We are targeting individuals who have a strong connection to JCPS in hopes that they will stay with the district for the long term.”
The district will use grant funding to pay for:
Undergraduate tuition assistance to complete initial teacher certification
Undergraduate tuition assistance to complete classes to improve GPA for entrance into a teaching program
In-person and online Praxis (teacher certification) test preparation, including childcare for in-person sessions
Praxis test fees
Ronda Mattingly is one of those who applied for, and received, some funding from the grant. Mattingly has been a JCPS employee for 27 years, currently working as a reading instructor at Wheatley Elementary School and wants to be a certified teacher with a classroom of her own.
“I love working with kids,” Mattingly said.
She’s pursuing a master’s degree in education from University of the Cumberlands, with JCPS covering all her tuition costs.
“I haven’t paid a dime,” Mattingly said. “It’s kind of hard going to college, working, and having a family. But for them (JCPS) to pay for it means they have confidence in you, and it makes you feel good.”
Mattingly also plans to take advantage of the free tutoring JCPS is offering before taking the Praxis exam. Passing the Praxis – a requirement in Kentucky to earn teacher certification–is an ongoing challenge for some teacher candidates. Through this grant, participants can access in-person and online coaching in addition to funding for taking the exam up to three times.
The grant will help address known needs throughout the district. Some JCPS non-certified staff attempt to enroll in teacher certification programs but do not meet undergraduate GPA requirements. Often their GPAs are based on coursework completed several years ago. Through this grant, these individuals can work to boost their GPAs with tuition assistance and successfully enroll in a teacher education program. Individuals who are already enrolled in teacher preparation programs can also access tuition assistance to complete their degrees.
KDE is providing this grant funding under the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ARP ESSER).
See Ronda Mattingly's story here.
OTHER PROGRAMS TO RETAIN/RECRUIT TEACHERS
Tuition reimbursement for employees
JCPS offers tuition reimbursement as funding allows for full-time classified and certified JCPS staff pursuing teacher certification in a critical needs content area, like math, science, special education, early childhood, or English as a second language (ESL).
“We need more teachers, and many of our employees want to become fully certified teachers,” Green-Webb said. “This is a perfect match. It also helps us fill some of the vacancies we have in subject areas where we just don’t have enough teachers for all classrooms.”
Louisville Teacher Residency
One relatively new, innovative program that’s attracting teachers to the district is the Louisville Teacher Residency (LTR) program. It’s giving aspiring bachelor's degree holders an opportunity to complete a master’s degree from the University of Louisville and become a certified teacher in just one year. This urban teacher preparation program targets individuals with limited to no teaching experience and seeks to produce a diverse cadre of educators. A stipend and scholarship funds covers virtually the entire cost for students. In return, LTR graduates commit to teaching for five years in a JCPS school targeted for Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI).
“LTR has been an incredible success,” said Sylena Fishback, director of the LTR program. “We’re getting a double bonus out of this effort - more teachers and a majority of them are Black or of color, making our classroom leaders more reflective of the students they are teaching.”
Since its inception in the 2020-21 school year, the program has produced 56 graduates who are currently teaching in JCPS schools and another 32 who will have their own classrooms in the 2023-24 school year. LTR is expanding and hopes to have 50 students enrolled as a new class begins this summer.