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PSS teachers get help to obtain master’s degrees
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Posted on Sep 03 2008
More than 50 Public School System teachers have expressed interest in pursuing their master’s degrees through a new federal grant program that will pay for their education.
The TEACH grant program provides $4,000 scholarships for two years for current or retired teachers to attain a master’s degree, said Tim Thornburgh, PSS Federal Programs director. There are some stipulations, however. Recipients must agree to teach the majority of his or her classes in a high need subject for four years within an eight-year period. High need fields for the CNMI are elementary education, special education, language arts grades 7 to 12, and mathematics grades 7 to 12. In the event the recipient fails to follow the stipulations, the grant converts to an unsubsidized student loan with a 6.8 percent annual interest rate, he said.
“It’s a grant with teeth,” Thornburgh added.
Currently, 126 teachers within PSS have master’s degrees, he said.
“Another 60, that’s great,” he added. “Studies show that students taught by a teacher with a master’s degree and five years of experience score higher on standardized tests.”
Undergraduate students can also benefit from the TEACH grant. Undergraduates interested in becoming teachers can receive $4,000 for four years to help cover the costs of their education. The same stipulations as the master’s degree apply, with a few additional requirements: recipients must maintain a 3.25 GPA on a 4.0 scale or score at the 75th percentile or above on a nationally standardized college admissions test.
