BUFFALO, N.Y. — Millions of dollars in federal funding is coming to Western New York to help address the ongoing teacher shortage in the region.
Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) announced the University at Buffalo is receiving a three-year grant totaling $3,564,905. The money is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and awarded through the Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) program.
The grant will be used to expand UB's Buffalo teacher residency program, and in turn will help high-need school districts address teacher shortages, workforce diversity, and learning gaps due to the pandemic.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly challenging for teachers in Western New York and across the country. From quick transitions to remote and hybrid learning, to the added stress of trying to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in classrooms, they have faced many obstacles that have disrupted the traditional learning environment. Now as students return to the classroom, they must address the educational gaps that resulted from pandemic-related learning disruptions amid nation-wide staffing shortages," said Congressman Higgins in a statement released Thursday.
According to a release from Higgins' office, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) shows 53 percent of all public schools reported feeling understaffed entering the 2022-23 school year, and 69 percent reported a small pool of candidates as the biggest challenge to hiring teachers.
"We are deeply appreciative for the continued support the UB Teacher Residency program has received from the U.S. Department of Education. With this new grant, the UB Teacher Residency program will continue to increase educational opportunities for all students by recruiting, preparing and supporting racially, ethnically, economically and linguistically diverse professionals to work in Buffalo Public Schools," said Suzanne Rosenblith, PhD, professor and dean of the University at Buffalo Graduate School of Education.
The University at Buffalo partners with Buffalo Public Schools, Sweet Home Central Schools, Amherst Central Schools, and Ken-Ton Schools for a 16-month teacher residency program that gives professional development experiences for 110 residency-affiliated educators that will reach approximately 2,500 K-12 students.