Scholarship, $1,000 Stipend Try To Recruit Teachers

While many people are forced to cut back with the economy, the U.S. Department of Education is funding a grant to recruit more teachers.

The scholarships provide an opportunity for those with a bacherlor’s degree to pursue a teaching certification.
The cost for the certification is paid for by the grant.
Once certified, the teachers receive a $1,000 stipend.  But the catch is candidates must commit to teaching a high-need subject in a school for three years.
Right now, Mississippi is short on teachers in the subjects of Math, Science and English.
In this recession, the scholarship comes as an opportunity for some to turn their dreams into reality.

“A lot of people have the passion and desire to teach who would love to go back and teach and also share their experiences with students, but they don’t have the finances right now to do so,“ said Teach & Inspire’s Enrollment Coordinator Ono Ekeh.

At a time when many are getting pink slips, Teach & Inspire is using a scholarship and $1,000 stipend to lure aspiring teachers to the state.

“You won’t have to worry about taking food out of your own mouth or child’s mouth in order to pursue your education so that’s a plus,“ said Kizzy Lewis, an aspiring teacher.

Lewis lost her job last year and now works as an office administrator at a church.  She has a bachelor’s degree in Biology, and with the shortage of Science teachers in the state, Lewis said now is the best time to pursue teaching.

“I know when you’re pursuing a second degree, you pretty much have to pay out of your pocket, and this would allow me to still continue to work and pay for my tuition,“ said Lewis.

Times are already tough at home for Lewis.  Her husband, a truck driver, has seen a decrease in business.  They’re living check-to-check and going out is extremely limited.  Even though the grant and stipend are pluses, Lewis said it’s also about tomorrow’s future.

“As a teacher, I feel you have first-hand opportunity to mold your child, and they’ll remember you for the rest of your life.  I want the opportunity to mold the children since so many people are leaving them.  I would like to go back, mold them, and make an impression,“ said Lewis.

For Lewis, it’s an opportunity to turn a dream into reality with the help of a scholarship.

Ekeh tells News Channel 12 that at the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year, Mississippi had a shortage of 1,000 full-time teachers.