Over the next year, the Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 School District is expected to receive two resident teachers as part of a multimillion grant.
The Colorado Department of Education recently awarded teacher recruitment program grants to the Colorado Boettcher Teacher Residency and Teach For America programs. Each organization is earmarked to receive nearly $1.5 million to partner with Colorado school districts.
“Our hope is that this grant funding attracts, supports and retains highly qualified teachers in areas of the state that are hard to staff,” said Jill Hawley, associate commissioner of Achievement and Strategy at the department.
Officials said two teachers are likely to be dispatched to the Montezuma-Cortez school district, possibly as early as next fall. The grants also include leadership and mentor coaching and access to professional development and training opportunities.
“This is a great opportunity for us,” said Montezuma-Cortez Superintendent Alex Carter.
Carter said the grant may serve as a launching point for a partnership with the Boettcher Foundation, which could then become a pipeline for recruiting high-quality teachers.
“Partnerships like this are sure to benefit our students,” Carter said.
The Colorado Boettcher Teacher Residency recruits and trains teachers through an apprenticeship program that combines master’s-level coursework with hands-on learning in a K-12 classroom. Ninety-six percent of Boettcher Teachers remain teaching in the classroom after they complete their five-year service term.
Teach For America recruits top college graduates and professionals to make an initial two-year commitment to teach in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong advocates for educational equity. Corps members are teaching in more than 80 schools in five districts statewide.
tbaker@cortezjournal.com