by Brent Addleman
Connecticut is spending taxpayers dollars to help defray testing costs for teachers, Gov. Ned Lamont said.
The governor announced that $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act and Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding will be used to help aspiring teachers defray the costs of certification-related testing in the state over the course of the next two years.
Funding in both years will total $750,000, with an additional $500,000 set aside for educators of color and those completing student teaching in urban districts.
“Our administration has made it a priority to ensure that we maintain and continue to recruit a high quality and diverse educator workforce in Connecticut,” Lamont said in a news release. “This investment will ensure more aspiring educators – especially minority educators and educators who strive to work in our urban districts – are able to pursue lifelong and rewarding careers in education.”
Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker said the financial support will put teachers on a path to obtaining certification.
“These funds will alleviate some of the financial barriers that may prevent, or delay needed educators from entering the profession,” Russell-Tucker said in the release.
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Brent Addleman is an Associate Editor and a veteran journalist at The Center Square with more than 25 years of experience. He has served as editor of newspapers in Pennsylvania and Texas, and has also worked at newspapers in Delaware, Maryland, New York, and Kentucky.
Photo “Ned Lamont” by Connecticut.gov. Background Photo “School Hallway” by elizabethaferry.
