Saint Paul FT receives AFT Innovation Fund Grant
The Saint Paul Federation of Teachers will receive a $150,000 Innovation Fund grant from the American Federation of Teachers for its CareerTeacher program, a pioneering proposal to design a grassroots approach to recruiting and preparing teachers. The Saint Paul Federation is one of only eight local unions nationwide to receive this grant.
The American Federation of Teachers Innovation Fund is the first union-led, private foundation-supported effort that provides grants to AFT affiliates nationwide to develop bold education innovations in public schools. The initial $3.3 million secured for the fund comes from the AFT and five prominent private philanthropic foundations.
CareerTeacher is considered unique because it combines these features:
- Aggressive Fortune 500-style recruiting of college students and midcareer professionals.
- A high-quality apprenticeship program for recruits.
- Dramatically improved teacher preparation.
- Multiple pathways to become a full-fledged teacher.
- New and differentiated roles for experienced teachers.
Using these methods, as well as outreach to high school students, CareerTeacher seeks to expand the pool of talented people considering the teaching profession.
"This is a grow-your-own approach to attracting and preparing the best classroom talent for our students," said Mary Cathryn Ricker, president of the Saint Paul Federation of Teachers.
Ricker said she was "humbled by the number and caliber of partners" who will work collaboratively with the union on CareerTeacher: the Saint Paul Public Schools, Saint Paul Public Schools Foundation, Mayor Chris Coleman, the Minnesota Commissioner of Education, Education Minnesota, the University of Minnesota Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs Center for School Change, Hamline University, Metropolitan State University and state Rep. Carlos Mariani-Rosa.
"Educators in St. Paul and around Minnesota put a premium on recruiting and training the best teachers to help our students succeed, and this grant will help our efforts greatly," said Tom Dooher, president of Education Minnesota.
"Many out there will be surprised to learn these proposals come from teacher unions, which are not afraid to take risks and share the responsibility for student success," said AFT President Randi Weingarten of all of the grantees’ plans. "These projects are designed by teachers and their unions, and include school and community partners—a vital combination that gives these new ventures the potential to be sustainable and improve student outcomes. That’s the real promise of these exciting initiatives."
October 13, 2009