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The School of Education at Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) has been awarded a Teacher Quality Grant (TQP) from the U.S. Department of Education of more than $3.7 million, disbursed over five years. GGC is the only Georgia institution among 22 schools nationwide selected to receive this funding.

The grant will provide funding for 40 GGC students to complete a year of residency in addition to induction support during their first two years of teaching in the Gwinnett County Public School (GCPS) system.

The TQP program funds teacher preparation programs in high-need communities at colleges and universities for undergraduate students and for teaching residency programs for individuals new to teaching with strong academic and professional backgrounds. The central feature of all TQP grantees is a strong partnership between the teacher preparation programs and the school districts they serve, which are often facilitated by mentor teachers who coach and prepare incoming educators.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona explained the motivation behind the TQP program and why it’s important to provide support to institutions like GGC.

"At the U.S. Department of Education, we recognize the value of supporting our nation's educators, and we have a responsibility to provide resources and opportunities that promote a diverse educator workforce," said Cardona. "These programs help prepare, place, develop and retain effective teachers and leaders in our schools and classrooms. Our students need quality educators now more than ever to address their academic and mental health needs."

Dr. Anita Anderson, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction for GGC’s School of Education, helped lead the successful submission process for the grant with colleague Dr. Amber Ebert, assistant professor of science education, and Melinda Mollette of GCPS.

“We are very excited to have this award,” said Anderson. “This grant is important to our students as it provides a living wage stipend for them while they complete a student teacher residency. The residency model pairs a student with a highly effective mentor teacher who co-teaches with the resident through second semester until the student teacher gradually assumes more responsibility in the classroom. Professional development is also funded for both the mentor teachers and residents.”

Anderson said the plan is to increase the diversity of the educator pipeline leading from GGC to GCPS in critical shortage areas, including secondary math and science (6-12), special education (K-12) and elementary English learners’ (ESOL-endorsed) teachers.

Anderson said the grant funds will enhance GGC’s comprehensive efforts by designing and delivering three key activities: 
• Recruitment and preparation of a more diverse pool of teachers to serve in critical shortage areas; 
• An intensive, year-long fellowship designed to support 40 new teachers across two cohorts in their transition from coursework to classroom; and 
• A two-year induction support model piloted with graduates of GGC’s School of Education employed in GCPS.

A central goal of the program is to support new education graduates’ transition into teaching, increasing the likelihood they will be retained in high-need schools.

Dr. Bernard Oliver, dean of the School of Education, said teamwork between GGC faculty and GCPS employees is responsible for the successful marketing of the grant, one of the largest ever bestowed to a school at GGC.

“This is a great honor for GGC and will hopefully assist us in addressing not only the teacher shortage crisis, but will provide support for enhancing our enrollment,” said Oliver. “This is another example of the strong partnership between GGC and the greater Gwinnett County community, and the meaningful impact it continues to make on future generations.”