$26 M Fed. Grant Will Train PA Teachers

The education improvement group ASSET, Inc. announced 23 Pennsylvania schools will participate in an Advanced Professional Development Program focusing on improving early science and math education.

A $26 million “Investing in Innovation” grant from the federal government will fund the 5-year teacher training program, beginning this April.

ASSET Director of Programs Cindy Pulkowski says about 450 teachers will be trained, and as many as 224,000 Pennsylvania students could benefit. She says the 23 elementary and middle schools chosen are either low-income or academically underachieving.

Pulkowski says there will be a great return on investment from this program.

“It’s going to increase student proficiency, first of all. More students, we hope, will start to pursue those STEM careers. It’s also going to have more effective teachers that impact those future generations, and we expect it to increase the region’s economic base,” says Pulkowski.

Pulkowski says 10 Western Pennsylvania schools were selected, including Fox Chapel’s Kerr Elementary and Propel Charter Schools.