Springfield, MO., Oct. 6, 2022 – A partnership between Drury University and Springfield Public Schools aims to help equip Title 1 educators to meet the unique needs of their students. The Drury University and Title 1 School Partner Grant offers eligible Springfield Public School teachers a 50% reduction in tuition for graduate-level courses toward a Master in Education.
“At Drury, we believe teachers should be prepared to educate the whole child, from academics, emotional intelligence and physical well-being,” says Dr. Natalie Precise, dean of the School of Education and Child Development. “We also recognize Title 1 schools are especially in need of educators who can provide well-rounded, highly skilled instruction. Through this partnership, we can make those foundational tools more accessible to teachers.”
Drury graduate student, Abby Whisnant, is a first-grade teacher at Fremont Elementary School and a recipient of the partner grant. She will graduate in May with a Master in Integrated Learning and an emphasis in Language and Literacy. She says the funding made all the difference, calling the grant a “blessing and a dream.”
“In Title 1 there’s a lot of research to back the data that entering students’ literacy levels are far below that of their higher socioeconomic counterparts. So being in a Title 1 school, I wanted to take classes that would help me develop my literacy instruction to help these kids out,” she said.
Recipients of the grant must be full-time employees at a Title I school in the Springfield Public School District, and they must stay working there for two years following completion of the degree. Whisnant says this is valuable because she can immediately apply the tools she learns in her graduate classes.
“That’s something I’ve really loved about being a teacher and taking these classes,” she says. “Everything I’ve learned in my classes I have put into practice in the classroom. To be able to learn cutting-edge strategies and try them out myself, it is the best learning experience possible.”
Grant applications are due every summer on July 1 and are awarded on a first come, first serve basis.
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Media Contact: Jasmine Cooper, Director of University Communications and Media Relations – (417) 873-7390 or JCooper020@drury.edu.