South Bend Community School Corporation Receives Grant To Give More Resources To Teachers

We’ve all heard stories of teachers spending their own money on ensuring they have enough basic resources for their students to learn properly. We’ve all watched the videos of special teachers getting awards, gifts on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and yet for the most part going un-noticed for all the extra work they do to ensure that their students learn. This is especially true in schools that are disadvantaged in terms of funding, and overall resources. It’s always nice to hear a story of teachers being given some help because when that happens, everyone wins. Teachers win because they can do their job efficiently, students win because they are put in a better environment to learn, and parents can feel confident that their children are put in the best possible position to succeed.

The Department of Education has awarded $22 million to the South Bend Community School Corporation for their Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program. The grant will be awarded over a three-year period, with 7 million to go directly to ” implement, improve and expand teacher development.”

SBCSC Superintendent Dr. Todd Cummings spoke on this grant award, saying:

This grant will allow us to ensure every student has an effective and experienced teacher and every school has an effective leadership team to improve the successful outcomes for all students.”

According to the Rockefeller Institute of Government, Indiana teachers have seen very little increase in compensation, one of the lowest levels in the United States. And just like in many stories we’ve all heard, teachers report to using their own funds to make up for the lack of resources. The totality of the funding will go to filling the resource gap all over the school district, with a special focus being given to schools in higher-need financially.

Specifically some of the other ways the funds will go towards:

• providing raises and bonuses for teachers
• bringing new teacher support
• providing new learning opportunities
• expanding support to students further

Mussel Elementary School teacher Melissa Rowe spoke on the funds being awarded to the district:

I think that this is a great opportunity for our school in many ways our professional development is what’s so important,” Rowe said. “We’ve seen teachers come and go through the years so we would really like to see this be put in place to get a good set of teachers and staff that are here for our kids, they’re getting their professional development and they want to put their time into it so the kids outcome is what the goal is.”

If you are seeking grants for teachers, you will find them in the Teacher category on GrantWatch.com