This month, the North Carolina Teaching Fellows announced 20 school districts across the state would each receive a $50,000 grant to help with teacher recruitment and retention, including two local districts.
Brunswick County Schools
Caldwell County Schools
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
Chatham County Schools
Clinton City Schools
Edgecombe County Schools
Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools
Gaston County Schools
Granville County Public Schools
Harnett County Schools
Haywood County Schools
Henderson County Public Schools
Perquimans County School System
Person County Schools
Rockingham County Schools
Rowan-Salisbury School System
Sampson County Schools
Wayne County Public Schools
Weldon City Schools
Yadkin County Schools
"The launch of this grant initiative is a strategic attempt to create a pipeline of applicants and potential teachers to seek opportunities to engage in teacher preparation courses, pursue teacher licensure in an approved educator preparation program, and return to work in districts which continue to face recruitment and retention challenges," a release stated.
Kelly Cowell, the Director of Talent Development for Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools (ECPPS), tells News 3 the district will use the cash to cover up to $10,000 of school costs each, per year, for five graduating seniors intending to become teachers. Then, those former students would return to teach at ECPPS.
The district hopes to do the same for five adult learners who are interested in going back to school to pursue teaching.
“I think about some of the people in our community, they need the financial assistance and this is a way to help. People that have that passion for teaching, they can come in and we can help them become teachers," said Cowell. "If people feel supported, they will stay."
According to North Carolina Teaching Fellows, the grant is renewable for up to three years, so Cowell says it could be used to recruit as many as 30 teachers in the end.
The district tells News 3 it intends to put out a call for applications for grant money as soon as possible, with a focus on recruiting teachers for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) subjects, plus elementary and special education teachers.
