The Tangipahoa Parish School System is one of two Louisiana districts that will benefit from a $5 million competitive grant to prepare new teachers and support them through high-quality induction in their first two years of teaching.
The federal Teacher Quality Partnership grant will support the Tangipahoa Parish School System’s efforts to attract, prepare, and retain new teachers in this and two other “high-need” public school districts.
The grant represents the latest in a longstanding partnership with the school system, Southeastern Louisiana University, and the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET).
School Superintendent Melissa Stilley said they are excited to embark on this program which will strengthen the quality of instruction in their classrooms and make their teachers some of the most knowledgeable in their field.
The goal is to reach 375 candidates over the next five years and increase instructional leadership skills in 150 mentor teachers who will work side-by-side with these new educators over a two year “induction” period.
The $5 million TQT partnership grant is the latest in a series of big wins for the district. Last week, TPSS was awarded $593,000 in federal ESSER funds to add playground equipment to schools with pre-K classes on their campuses.
The district also announced plans for $54 million in Phase II construction projects at local schools to build brick-and-mortar classrooms and alleviate the need for portable classrooms. Approved by the Board Tuesday night, that Phase II plan will be accomplished by bonding against existing funds and will not require any new taxes from residents of the parish.
