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Printer-Friendly Mode$2.1 million to fund teacher retraining
February 19, 2007 —
SVSU has received part of a $2.1 million grant that will be split with GVSU and the University of Michigan to be used toward the creation and maintenance of the Michigan Math and Science Teacher Leadership Collaborative. According to Stephen Barbus, dean of the College of Education, "The goal of this grant is to prepare teacher specialist leaders."
During Monday's Board of Control meeting, Barbus announced that the Michigan Department of Education approved the grant. SVSU will serve as the fiscal agent for the grant, and Barbus said that the University will receive the "lion's share" of the funds.
SVSU and its partner institutions in the collaborative - U of M Ann Arbor, U of M Dearborn and GVSU - will address "high needs" schools throughout Michigan and retrain teachers to meet those needs.
For example, a teacher from an underprivileged middle school may be brought to SVSU for a semester and retrained in order to return to their district better able to act as leaders. Some of the coursework might involve familiarization with state testing standards. The money itself will cover the cost of the substitute teachers and miscellaneous expenses for the affected districts.
The program is different in that it does not specify what school districts in particular will be involved; rather, it recruits teachers from schools that might benefit most from a teacher-leader.
"It's unique because it targets the entire state," Barbus said.
The funds will be disbursedover a three-year period, retroactive from late 2006.
Also present at Monday's meeting were Director of Student Life Janelle Jacobs and students Jamey Latocki, Reggie Blockett, and Britney Burns who delivered a presentation on Alternative Breaks, an inter-university project wherein students travel throughout the country - and occasionally out of the country - to perform basic human services to those in need. The Vanguard regularly reports on the program's activities and participants.
Jacobs commented on the program's success.
"The intensity of the experiences has been called life changing by many," she said.
Latocki confirmed what Jacobs had suggested: "In all honesty, this was a life changing experience for me."
This year, Alternative Breaks has trips planned for Bedford, New Hampshire; Lake Charles, Louisana; and Tahlequah, Oklahoma. An international trip is planned to the Dominican Republic.
While many universities participate in the program, Burns is especially proud of SVSU's contribution. During her break, Burns helped rebuild animal pens in Florida.
"They actually told us we got twice as much done as Grand Valley when they came," she joked.
Students interested in participating in Alternative Breaks are urged to contact the Student Life office. Visit svsu.edu/studentlife for more information.