Campbell celebrates Tippecanoe County schools receiving grant to support educator pipeline

WEST LAFAYETTE – The Indiana Department of Education has announced Tippecanoe County schools as one of the recipients of a $10.6 million grant to support the attraction and retention of state educators. The Attract, Prepare, Retain Grant aims to help schools and communities strengthen, expand and diversify the educator pipeline. State Rep. Chris Campbell (D-West Lafayette) today celebrated the announcement of Tippecanoe County schools as one of the grant recipients. 

This grant will aid schools and educators in 29 Indiana counties. Recipients of the grant have demonstrated a commitment to supporting the professional development of local educators, including investing in strategies such as growing the number of opportunities for high school students and minority populations to pursue careers as educators. 

“Our children deserve the best, so it only makes sense to provide them with the best quality of teachers,” said Campbell. “The growing teacher shortage in our state is a detriment to students’ futures as well-educated and developed citizens. This grant will allow Tippecanoe County schools to explore creative ways to professionally develop and invest in current educators, as well as attract the next generation of Hoosier teachers.” 

Today, 2,812 school support positions are posted on the Indiana Department of Education's new online job board. Campbell added that 1,562 of those open positions are in search of teachers.

Successful applications focused on increasing leadership and career advancement within the educator profession, as well as increasing opportunities for high school students and underrepresented populations to pursue careers as educators. This could include increasing:

• The number of opportunities for high school students to enter educator preparation programs with transferable post-secondary credits,
• Underrepresented populations among candidates enrolling in educator preparation programs,
• Opportunities for leadership and career advancement within the profession, and
• Opportunities for sharing information, practices and ideas among other educators.

A full list of the school districts and partners that are recipients of the Attract, Prepare, Retain Grant can be found here.