Aid for educators
UHV receives grant to help alleviate teacher shortage
Print- •
-
Share
- Share this item
-
Grab the link
Copy and paste the link:
- Blog about it
- Close
- •
-
7 Comments
- •
Favorite- •
-
Report error
-
Thank you for your submission.Error report or correction
- Close
-
- •
Substitute teacher Roxanne Torres is getting a little help in her quest to become a teacher.
The University of Houston-Victoria recently received a $492,672 grant that will help teacher’s aides and long-term substitutes, like Torres, become teachers.
The three-year grant from the Greater Texas Foundation will fund UHV’s Access to Success program.
The program provides scholarships, tuition and books to area school district employees who want to become teachers.
“Access to Success connects us with students who might not otherwise attend college and provides them with resources and opportunity to enroll,” said Tim Hudson, UHV president.
The grant will also fund research expenses to study the effectiveness of the program and provide an additional incentive of $3,500 to any student who becomes certified to teach in the critical need areas of math and science.
“I was motivated to go back to school because of the extra help,” said Torres, an Access to Success member.
Torres is a mother of three who began substituting about four years ago. She heard about the program while she was a substitute.
“This program has given me the extra push that I need to continue and succeed,” Torres said.
The recent grant has uprooted a program that was near end of grant money in the 2006-2007 school year.
Students involved in the program admit that without it returning to school would be extremely difficult.
“This program is very beneficial and has encouraged me to reach my goal of becoming a teacher,” Torres said.
For paraprofessional Cathy Taylor, becoming a teacher has always been her goal and was hesitant to return to school because of costs.
“The program takes a big burden off of me financially,” Taylor said. “I just feel like teaching is my calling.”
The grant will allow for 25 to 50 new students to enter the program each year.
“I know that through this grant I will eventually get to where I want to be,” Torres said.
Rubi Reyes is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact her at 361-580-6578 or rreyes@vicad.com or comment on this story at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.
REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCESS TO SUCCESS
Teacher’s aides and long term substitutes for area school districts.
Must apply for the program and show financial need to be accepted.
Must complete classes at UHV and follow the same degree ...
- SHOW ALL »
REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCESS TO SUCCESS
Teacher’s aides and long term substitutes for area school districts.
Must apply for the program and show financial need to be accepted.
Must complete classes at UHV and follow the same degree plan as other education students.
Must be a Texas resident.
Demonstrate financial need.
Work as an educational aide in a Texas public school for at least one school year within the five years preceding the term or semester for which the exemption is received or have accrued at least 180 days experience as substitute teachers within the past five years.
Meet satisfactory academic progress requirements for their college or university.
For more information contact Carol Klages, program coordinator and associate professor of education for UHV, at klagesc@uhv.edu.
-
Print
- •
-
Share
- Share this item
-
Grab the link
Copy and paste the link:
- Blog about it
- Close
- •
-
7 Comments
- •
- Favorite
- •
-
Report error
-
Thank you for your submission.Error report or correction
- Close
-
- •
Comments
"One thing that might be a problem though. I want to teach kids that want to learn."
Pre-AP classes should be pretty smooth sailing, but, yeah, you may run into a little headwind on the rest of them.
August 3, 2008 at 9:21 p.m.We could only hope you'd be the first choice! Many years ago I was a teacher in the Valley and found that it takes a most special person to be a teacher. I was not that person. The only winners there were the children. I truly do admire someone who is a teacher. I hope you find a way to get State certification and stick by your guns about the learning thing. Kids nowadays seem so different and then there are the parents! Good luck!
August 3, 2008 at 9:13 p.m.Thanks. I'll check into those two sources.
And not that *this* is on topic either but.... :-)
Pat, there's a couple of reasons I wouldn't mind teaching. I have to admit that one of them is a selfish one - or perhaps just necessary. I expect I'll have to supplement my retirement income in some way unless I decide to continue working at my present job another ten years. Not an alternative I relish I'm afraid.
Beyond that, I enjoy teaching. Been doing it for the last fifteen years at my job and it's....rewarding to see the light go on when someone "gets it."
The generation in school now is the generation I'll have to rely on in my "golden years" to keep this country and this planet afloat. Maybe it's a silly pipe dream of mine but I'd like to see the future leaders of it have a better grasp of reality than the current crop. If I can in some small way have a hand in seeing that... well, it's gotta start somewhere, huh?
One thing that might be a problem though. I want to teach kids that want to learn. Because it's currently an issue, I'll use texting in class as an example. If you're in my math class to learn math, you will be learning math (or maybe on some days, how to think and reason). If texting is more important to you, you're outta here. I don't care if you go to the principal's office or the local hangout to have a toke with your buddies but you won't be staying in my class denying those who want to learn the ability to do so.
Think the school board'll still have me? :-)
Ernie
August 3, 2008 at 9:06 p.m.WOW! I am totally impressed with anyone who wants to teach nowadays and more than totally impressed with anyone who wants to teach math. Ernie, the answer may be found at a website called sbec.state.tx.us, but I didn't actually read the whole thing. Just seems like it might be a jumping off point.
August 3, 2008 at 8:29 p.m.Not that this is on topic but....
I've considered doing some teaching after retirement in the math. Julie tells me there's a program where retired professionals can do that without a teaching certificate or can get the certificate by demonstrating equivalent life experience.
I've been a petro engineer for what seems like all my life. No degree, just worked my way up and am good with numbers and formulae, etc.
Where and how does one get into that program?
Ernie
August 3, 2008 at 8:24 p.m.For some reason the words did not display. My concern is this is a low income program only. This means some possibly great candidates that are slightly over the mean or maybe $5K over the mean will be kept from being a great educator.
This is why the US school systems are having the problems they are. And lets see, congratulations if you are low income and want to teach math or science we will give you more money.
What a great program that promotes discrimination. Program should be open to all in school system that want to teach. You may loose the greatest educator over a mean amount set by some government person sitting in Washington with a great retirement package that these people won't ever see.
August 3, 2008 at 8:13 p.m.