U.S. Department of Education's Deputy Assistant Secretary Amanda Farris today announced a $1,987,589 grant to the Community Training and Assistance Center (CTAC) partnered with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) and a $1,174,176 grant to Cumberland County Schools in North Carolina to provide financial incentives to teachers and principals who improve student achievement and close achievement gaps in high-poverty schools. Totaling $3 million this year, these grants will also be used to recruit effective teachers to those schools, particularly for hard-to-staff subjects like math, science and special education. The grant to CTAC and CMS is expected to be funded for five years at a total of some $11.8 million, and the grant to Cumberland County Schools is expected to be funded for five years at a total of $4.8 million.

"If we expect results for every child, as we do with No Child Left Behind, then we must support teachers who get the job done in America's toughest classrooms," Spellings said. "These grants will help encourage our most effective teachers to work in challenging schools where they can make a real difference in the lives of young people."

"We need to attract the brightest, most qualified educators if we want to ensure that all of North Carolina's students are well prepared for the work force," said Senator Burr. "These funds will help recruit and retain qualified teachers which will help students achieve success in school, postsecondary education, and in the workplace."

The grant to CTAC and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will implement the Leadership for Educators' Advanced Performance (LEAP) initiative in sixteen high-needs schools to promote recruitment and retention of highly qualified teachers for the hard-to-staff subjects like mathematics and science.

Cumberland County Schools plans to use the grant to fund an initiative to create professional learning opportunities at five high-need schools in the district to narrow the achievement gap and promote recruitment of effective teachers in the areas of special education, science, and math.

The Teacher Incentive Fund program is President Bush's initiative to develop and implement performance-based teacher and principal compensation systems in high-need, disadvantaged schools, where at least 30 percent of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. The goals of the program are to improve student achievement by rewarding effective principals and teachers, and, at the same time, increase the number of effective teachers serving minority and disadvantaged students. The Department is awarding 18 five-year TIF grants for a total of $38,248,518 in their first year.

For more information about the Teacher Incentive Fund visit: http://www.ed.gov/programs/teacherincentive/faq.html

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