State Dept. Of Education Grants $4.2 Million To Bring More Teachers To Oklahoma

The State Department of Education is giving Teach For America more than $4 million to bring more teachers to Oklahoma.

The money will fund a grant for three years.

Leaders with Teach For America said this money will allow them to recruit experienced alumni from across the country to come teach in Oklahoma. On top of that, they will invest in school leaders and train college students.

"With the pandemic and learning opportunities, I think it's critical for our teachers to be in front of our kids, while also investing in our school leaders,” said Executive Director Sarah Park.

Now, thanks to a $4.2 million grant, Teach For America will be able to do just that.

Park oversees the Oklahoma City area and the Greater Tulsa region. She said each year, around 50 teachers commit to work for two years.

The money will allow them to bring in additional teachers from out of state.

"It is seasoned classroom teachers who've already had the training experience to come to Oklahoma for another two years and make an impact,” Park said.

She said there's a wide pool to choose from with more than 500 alumni statewide and more than 60,000 nationwide.

Oklahoma State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister said the grant comes from federal relief money to support students during the pandemic.

"Teachers for those unfilled classrooms are really important when we think about the alternative,” Hofmeister said.

She said the alternatives are combined classes with less attention on each student, or brand-new teachers with emergency certification.

“So, this will bring some stability with these positions. And we hope then that's just the start for being in these positions in Oklahoma,” Hofmeister said.

Park said she's excited and grateful for the State Department's trust in Teach For America.

“To bring more teachers, to develop more leaders, to invest our future generation of educators,” Park said.

Teach For America has been bringing teachers to Tulsa for more than a decade. Park said she's hopeful for this area since many that go through the program stay in town.