USD 333 receives grant to help keep dedicated staff

Concordia Unified School District 333 has received a $132,825 Rural Educator Development Grant from the Patterson Family Foundation to help keep dedicated professionals in Concordia.
USD 333 works hard to provide incentives to make employment with the school district competitive, and keep highly qualified teachers in our classrooms. However, the teaching shortage is real, and it is more and more challenging to hire and maintain educational staff in our rural area.
The Kansas State Department of Education's “Educate Kansas” job listing showed 378 teaching positions still open in September, with over two-thirds of Kansas school districts reporting overall teacher shortages (https://jobs.educatekansas.org/).
Concordia school leaders continue to find incentives to meet these Kansas teacher shortage challenges.     
The Patterson Family Foundation Rural Educator Development Grant provides funding to support the costs of continued education, training, certification, and licensing for public-school-based teachers, health professionals, and guidance and career counselors.
Teachers and administrators who pursue additional education in high-need academic areas can apply to receive college credit reimbursement if they continue employment with USD 333 the following year.    
The Patterson Family Foundation awarded these grant funds to USD 333 through the “Rural Educator Development” initiative because they know that strong schools with highly qualified teachers serve a vital role in any rural community.
Not only are schools one of a community's biggest employers, they also help shape the community's identity, pride of place, property values, and perceptions about its future.
“The dedicated teachers, health professionals, and counselors in our rural communities make these areas wonderful places to live today, while helping our youth become the community's future,” Patterson program officer Adam Erickson said. “By supporting our teachers in their pursuit of excellence, school administrators can help students, schools, and communities have the best possible outcomes.”
Concordia Education Fund director Kimberly Muff said, “We support our educators wholeheartedly.  This grant allows us to reinforce their advanced education so they can offer new learning opportunities to our students. We all win when our community and kids are supported with high-quality instruction.”
The grant will provide reimbursement for undergraduate and graduate college courses in high-need academic and technical areas.  
Contact Kim Muff ( kim.muff@usd333.com) to learn more about the Rural Educator Development Grant and the Concordia Education Fund.