Boston, like many school districts, faces a double whammy when it comes to teachers. Retention rates are low, with more than half of new teachers leaving the district or even the profession within three years. And more than half of all Boston teachers will soon be eligible for retirement. To head off this looming teacher crunch, a local foundation is underwriting a teacher training plan that mimics physician residency programs. Young teachers will work for a year under a master teacher toward certification in their specialty (and in special education), while taking classes one day a week. For that, they'll get $10,000 for living expenses and a no-interest loan to pay tuition expenses toward getting their master's at UMass-Boston. (The loan is forgiven if they teach for three years in a Boston public school.) Ed schools, however, appear to be minimally involved. The program will train 16 new teachers this year and hopes to expand to 120 by 2008. To get more info - or apply - go to http://www.bpe.org/whatsnew.aspx.
"New push to bring teachers to Boston," by Megan Trench, Boston Globe, May 16, 2003