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Thousands of Alabama public school teachers could be eligible for a $1,000 grant for working on their reading instruction.
State education officials say instructors who voluntarily completed the training – two years for elementary teachers and one year for early childhood teachers – on how to teach young children to read could get a one-time bonus.
Alabama Board of Education member Cynthia McCarty said she is excited about being able to offer the scholarship. She has pushed for a scholarship for teachers who took on the LETRS training for the past few years.
“I wanted some tangible note of gratitude,” McCarty said. “Just to thank them and say we realize what you did. And we are so very thankful that you chose to do this. And your students will benefit so greatly from your sacrifice.”
Teachers must apply for the stipend, which includes showing all LETRS coursework has been completed and that they achieved mastery on the assessment. The deadline for teachers to apply for the scholarship is May 27.
In April, about 2,500 K-12 instructors and 900 preschool instructors had completed LETRS training.
The Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling training which shows teachers the science behind how children learn to read and specific techniques for helping them build awareness of letters and sounds, along with reading comprehension.
The Alabama State Department of Education adopted LETRS training as part of the Alabama Literacy Act, which in addition to providing foundational literacy support, also provides intensive support for the state’s lowest-performing elementary schools.
Because the training is voluntary, teachers must take the course on their own time.
In a memo to superintendents, State Superintendent Eric Mackey said he could not guarantee the grant would be offered in the future, as these grants are coming from federal COVID recovery funds.
Teachers will net the full $1,000, and the state will forward an extra $200 to school districts to cover benefits.
Read more: How this rural Alabama school tackled COVID reading woes.
Read more: Alabama making gains in reading instruction as state mulls changes to literacy act
Read more: This first grader couldn’t read when he moved from California. Here’s how his Alabama school helped.
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