Loyola Marymount University’s School of Education has secured a $2.7 million federal grant intended to increase the amount of highly qualified bilingual teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
The five-year partnership, which also involves the Sobrato Family Foundation, will support professional development for up to 84 in-service teachers annually at schools with large populations of English learners in transitional kindergarten through third grade, according to a school announcement.
Eighteen LMU School of Education pre-service teacher candidates will participate in professional development and complete their California teaching credential and bilingual authorization in Spanish. LMU will also conduct research on the Sobrato Early Academic Language model.
“This grant strengthens the long-term partnership between LMU and LAUSD in a high-need area for the district, while also addressing California’s teacher shortage through the preparation of new bilingual teachers,” said Shane P. Martin, dean of the LMU School of Education.
LMU’s funding is part of a $22 million award from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition under the National Professional Development Program to support educators of English learner students across the nation.
—City News Service