Date: 10/28/08
Contact: Eric Jome
Illinois State University will place more new math and science teachers in Chicago Public Schools thanks to a four-year, $750,000 grant from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program. The grant provides stipends and scholarships for 40 pre-service teacher education students in mathematics, biological sciences and chemistry.
Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship awardees will receive at least $10,000 per year and have their tuition and fees waived by Illinois State. The University is also adding a $5,000 stipend for students who hold bachelor’s degrees and are changing their careers to become teachers. The awards will cover the last two years of pre-service teacher education at Illinois State.
In return for the scholarships, the students will commit to teach for at least two years in Chicago upon successful completion of their teacher certification through Illinois State. Participants in the program will be part of special orientation sessions and program activities in Chicago during their pre-service education and will continue to receive mentoring from the Chicago Public Schools during their first few years of teaching.
The scholarship program fills a need the Chicago school district has identified in its teacher recruitment efforts, according to Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan.
“We are grateful for the efforts of Illinois State and its administrators in helping Chicago Public Schools to better meet the instructional needs that confront every school district in the country – finding quality math and science teachers,” Duncan said. “This NSF grant will certainly assist us in pursuing our math and science initiative, which is one of our district’s clear priorities. Along with other joint CPS and Illinois State initiatives, this will further cement the relationship between our institutions for the betterment of our 405,000 Chicago Public Schools students while providing opportunity for Illinois State-trained teachers, a win-win by any measure."
The scholarship program for Illinois State students is a joint effort of the Chicago Public Schools, and Illinois State’s Departments of Chemistry, Biological Sciences and Mathematics, College of Education, College of Arts and Sciences and Research and Sponsored Programs office.
“This program is just another step in a long term University-wide commitment by Illinois State to serve the whole state of Illinois,” said Deborah Curtis, dean of Illinois State’s College of Education. “We have excellent teacher education programs and many of us on campus have been working to make urban education a stronger and more prevalent feature of our work.”
“We are extremely pleased to continue our collaboration with our colleagues in the Chicago Public Schools,” said Robert Lee, director of Chicago Teacher Education Pipeline Programs & Partnerships at Illinois State. “Illinois State is committed to further developing the Chicago Teacher Pipeline and serving the students of Chicago. The NSF funding allows us to have an important impact on the lives and careers of Chicago teachers and students by recruiting quality minority candidates to study high-need subject areas and start their professional teaching careers with Chicago Public Schools.”
The National Science Foundation’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program seeks to encourage talented science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors and professionals to become K-12 mathematics and science teachers. The program provides funds to institutions of higher education to support scholarships, stipends, and programs for students who commit to teaching in high-need K-12 school districts.
“The Robert Noyce scholarships will provide pre-service teachers with the financial resources to finish their education at Illinois State and then bring their knowledge and enthusiasm to urban classrooms,” said Illinois State President Al Bowman. “This scholarship program is a true benefit to both our teacher education students and to the students in Chicago Public Schools. It is also part of the commitment to serve the people of this state, as outlined in the University’s Educating Illinois strategic plan.”
