GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Georgia Gwinnett College has been awarded a $3.37 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to help address Georgia’s teacher shortage by strengthening the pipeline of educators. The funding will support the Gwinnett Inspiring Future Teachers Supporting Effective Educator Development grant, created in partnership with Gwinnett County Public Schools.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
The three-year award comes as Georgia school districts face more than 5,300 teacher vacancies. Georgia Gwinnett College is one of 16 institutions nationwide to receive the federal grant, which runs from October 2026 through September 2029.
Gwinnett County Public Schools is the largest employer in Gwinnett County and the fourth-largest employer in Metro Atlanta, serving nearly 179,000 students.
The initiative focuses on providing college scholarships, expanding the para-to-teacher pathway and supporting teacher residency apprenticeships.
Dr. Angie Jasper, dean of GGC’s School of Education, highlighted the collaboration with schools.
“This grant will support our efforts in creating a pipeline for teachers,” Jasper said. “We worked closely with Gwinnett County Public Schools on apprenticeship opportunities to give our students valuable classroom experience.”
About $1 million of the grant will be dedicated directly to scholarships for prospective teachers.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Clark Atlanta student dies after driver going 94.4 mph crashes into her car: police
- Man who died falling from Six Flags roller coaster was celebrating niece’s birthday, relative says
- Georgia man trapped under lawn mower for 2 hours
Melinda Mollette, director of competitive grants for GCPS, noted the financial relief the program provides.
“This grant is a gamechanger because it will help alleviate debt worries for GCPS paraprofessionals (para) working to earn their education degree,” Mollette said. “Part of the grant is directed to established registered apprenticeships, which our district already has, as well as residency opportunities.”
Dr. JW Mozley, interim chief human resources officer at GCPS, also emphasized the role of financial aid in recruitment.
“This is huge,” Mozley said. “This grant will help us fill our teacher pipeline and remove financial barriers with scholarships.”
The initiative will place a primary focus on areas facing critical educator shortages, particularly special education. The para-to-teacher pathway allows current paraprofessionals working in GCPS classrooms to remain employed while earning their education degrees at GGC.
Hollie Marcus, director of recruitment at GCPS, addressed the severe shortage in special education classrooms.
“There’s a severe shortage of special education teachers,” Marcus said. “Our paras can continue to work while they’re earning their degree. It’s a way for us to invest back in our own professionals.”
Undergraduate education students at GGC currently receive two years of field experience while completing their degrees. Jasper noted that the program is “one of the few in the country that provides our students with two years of field experience while they’re earning their undergraduate education degree.”
In addition to faculty and district mentors, the grant will expand support systems for teacher candidates by adding a program director, an instructional coach and two specialists.
“We want our teacher candidates to have a strong support system to guide them through their educational journey and continue during their first year in the classroom,” Jasper said. “They become the teachers they want to be, and that helps keep them in their field. The students they teach are the ultimate winners.”
The grant also integrates evidence-based literacy instruction into teacher preparation and classroom practices. GGC and GCPS have established four elementary school literacy labs in local schools where teacher candidates learn and implement literacy instruction methods.
“Our students will go to those labs to learn best practices for integrating evidence-based literacy instruction into their subject areas,” Jasper said. “They will then apply what they’ve learned in a GCPS classroom within the district.”
Georgia Gwinnett College will launch its Master of Arts in Teaching in Secondary Education program in January, featuring a one-year residency experience. The overall grant program will run through September 2029.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]