U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige today announced 42 grants totaling some $31 million under the new Transitions to Teaching Program to help school districts recruit skilled mid-career professionals and recent college graduates into teaching careers.

The program, which awards grants to local school districts, states or national organizations, will help school districts tackle teacher shortages by supporting recruitment of talented and capable individuals from other professional and academic fields, as well as recent college graduates with strong academic records and a bachelor's degree in a field other than teaching.

"Our children need more well-qualified teachers, and recruiting and training new quality teachers who will dedicate themselves to teaching as a career will require persistence and imagination," Paige said. "Casting a wider net for experienced professionals--those with a wealth of experience and knowledge but who lack a teaching credential--will help school districts address teacher shortages, particularly in subjects where there is great demand for qualified instructors."

Quality mathematics, science, foreign language, English as a Second Language, reading and special education teachers are already in scarce supply--and the problem may worsen as student enrollments increase and current teachers retire.

A former public school teacher and librarian, Laura Bush has focused her attention on several teacher recruitment programs, including Troops to Teachers which has placed more than 4,000 former military personnel in teaching positions since 1994.

"America's future depends on ensuring our classrooms are filled with many more bright and dedicated teachers," Mrs. Bush said. "I hope that school districts will use this new resource to encourage more men and women to enter the teaching profession."

Transitions to Teaching grantees will work in partnerships that help school districts to recruit, prepare, and place professionals in their new teaching careers and to support them to promote retention. Tailored to school district needs, grantees will recruit those with strong backgrounds and skills, and ensure that those individuals receive special assistance, guidance, support, and in some cases stipends and incentives, to make teaching a long-term career.

School districts, education service agencies and nonprofit organizations are eligible to compete for the three-year grants. Projects may support more than one state, schools districts within a state, single school districts or neighboring school districts.

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NOTE TO EDITORS: A list of grantees and contacts follows. Further information on the funded projects is available at http://www.ed.gov/programs/transitionteach/index.html

Transition to Teaching Program Grants, FY 2001

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