U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige today announced 95 grants totaling nearly $35 million under the Transition to Teaching program to help school districts recruit skilled mid-career professionals, paraprofessionals, and recent college graduates into teaching careers.

"Alternative routes to teacher certification have proved promising as a streamlined means to place qualified teachers in the classroom," Paige said. "We must tap the energy, experience and eagerness of individuals from non-education backgrounds into the teaching profession. The projects funded today will help school districts be much more creative as they address the demand for teachers."

Data show that there is a critical need for teachers in certain curriculum areas such as mathematics, science, foreign languages, English as a Second Language, reading and special education -- and the problem may worsen as student enrollments increase and current teachers retire.

The Transition to Teaching program helps high-need school districts tackle teacher shortages by recruiting talented and capable individuals from other professions and academic fields, as well as recent college graduates with strong academic records and a bachelor's degree in a field other than teaching, to serve as teachers.

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

A former public school teacher and librarian, First Lady Laura Bush has focused her attention on several alternative teacher recruitment programs, including Troops to Teachers, the New Teacher Project, and Teach for America. Troops to Teachers, which received $18 million in FY2002, has placed some 4,000 former military personnel in teaching positions since 1994.

Transition to Teaching grantees will work in partnerships that help high-need school districts to recruit, prepare, and place professionals in their new teaching careers and to support them to promote retention. 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 become highly qualified teachers through alternative certification routes and make teaching a long-term commitment.

Transition to Teaching grants are awarded for five years to high-need local school districts, states, institutions of higher education, national organizations, or partnerships. A project may support one or more school districts and may be located in more than one state. The program, now in its second year, is authorized under Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Click here for a list of grantees and contacts. Dollar amount reflects first year of funding of the five-year grants.

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