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MNU
MNU poised to help rural teachers
University awarded $6.6 million for teacher ed and retention in rural Kansas
M
idAmerica is one of 28 universities nationwide
selected to receive funding to transform teacher
preparation programs through the new five-year Teacher
Quality Partnership (TQP) grants allocated through the
U.S. Department of Education. The TQP grant funding of
$6.66 million will assist MNU in developing initiatives
to address the challenges rural southwestern Kansas
school districts have in recruiting, retaining and
training teachers in rural districts.
MidAmerica Nazarene University,
with just over 1,700 students, joins
other universities such as Arizona
State, UCLA, Ohio State, Georgia
State, Indiana University, and Old
Dominion in the development of
teacher education preparation
programs.
MNU was ranked 8th
in the amount funded
through the Teacher Quality
Partnership grants.
MNU was ranked 8th
in the amount funded
through the Teacher
Quality Partnership grants.
“It is an honor for MNU to
be funded alongside much larger
institutions,” says MNU President
Ed Robinson. “We are committed to
maximizing the funds to make a difference for P-12
education in the state.”
Dr. Linda Alexander, Interim Dean of the School of
Education and Counseling, emphasized that MNU
intentionally focused its program plans on rural school
districts in southwestern Kansas to develop a teacher
preparation program that is sensitive to the rural school
districts. Many MNU students come from those areas and
want to return there for their teaching careers.
At the end of the five-year program, in July 2014, MNU
projects at least 40 teachers will be trained and hired
within the six designated school districts, along with at
least 100 mentors trained and 100 new in-service teachers
mentored.
10 | Accent magazine | Fall 2009
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