Federal funds for SHU will address educator diversity and teacher shortages

FAIRFIELD – The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Sacred Heart University’s teacher residency program a $3.38 million Teacher Quality Partnership grant. SHU was the only university in the Northeast to receive the award.

Funding comes at a vital time for both the State of Connecticut and Sacred Heart, as the need for quality educators is at a record high. The grant dollars over the next five years will enable the college’s Farrington College of Education & Human Development to recruit future teachers from underrepresented backgrounds, provide stipends for cohorts within the program, partner residents with a school-based mentor and prepare future educators with the knowledge and skills needed for today’s diverse classrooms.

At the same time, the grant will help stimulate the job market and provide the state with a mission-driven pool of future teachers looking to make a difference within their local communities. It will also help Sacred Heart University Teacher Residency Program continue dynamic partnerships with public schools in Bridgeport and Stamford.

Rene Roselle, project director and chair for teacher education at SHU, described the grant’s significance.

“This award recognizes the successful residency program we developed with Bridgeport Public Schools in 2020 and expanded to Stamford this year,” Roselle said. “The TQP grant supports the continued collaboration with Bridgeport and Stamford to address Connecticut’s critical shortage of teachers in high-need areas, build a diverse educator workforce and improve student achievement.”

SHU’s teacher residency program recruits, enrolls and prepares students to become licensed special education, elementary and secondary education teachers in Connecticut. The program offers a year-long, co-teaching residency and a significantly subsidized tuition benefit. All residents are paired with a skilled mentor aligned to Connecticut’s Teacher Education and Mentoring program. As a result of the Teacher Quality Partnership grant, residents in teacher shortage areas in Bridgeport and Stamford will receive a substantial living stipend.

The residency program has been structured to equip students with valuable skills in the areas of universal design for learning, literacy instruction in STEM, culturally sustaining education and more. A partnership with Notre Dame Prep of Sacred Heart University, formerly Notre Dame Catholic High School in Fairfield, provides additional opportunities for insights into teaching and learning and the development of a future teachers club.

Sally Drew, co-project director and program director of special education at SHU, is passionate about the University’s commitment to preparing the top minds in education.

“Our work with our residents, resident alumni and mentors in our partner districts allows us to amplify SHU’s mission in service to educators and their students,” she said. “Not just filling workforce shortage needs, but also supporting beginning teachers in developing the knowledge, skills and mindsets to be empowered leaders in the profession at the beginning of their career and in the years to come.”

Katie Cunningham, co-project director and program director for teacher education, believes the grant will further cement SHU as a leader in teacher education in the state.

“Residency programs are the gold standard for teacher education, and this prestigious grant gives us an opportunity to strengthen our residency program, our partnerships with Bridgeport and Stamford and our presence as a leader in teacher education in the State of Connecticut and beyond,” she said.