Washington State Awarded Grant to Help Teachers

A grant received by Washington – as well as three other states and school districts in Albuquerque and San Francisco – will help develop teacher leaders, particularly in high-needs schools.

The $15-million, three-year grant was given by the U.S. Department of Education. Called the Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) grant, the money will be used by teachers who have achieved National Board certification.

“I’m proud of the work that went into Washington being a part of this grant,” said Randy Dorn, superintendent of public instruction. “I’m a supporter of the National Board, in part because I think every student should have access to a great teacher. The grant will help bring us closer to that goal.”

According to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the states and districts “will form a virtual ‘Networked Improvement Community’ to set shared goals and develop strategies to address common problems, while sharing progress and best practices. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement Teaching will serve as a guiding partner in this effort. Another critical partner, the American Institutes for Research, will serve as the evaluation partner and share lessons and outcomes with the field.”

Award amounts to each state and the two school districts will be determined later this fall.

Washington state is fourth in the nation with 6,817 National Board-certified teachers. Nearly one in four (1,591) teach in a high-needs school.