State grant aims to help employees earn teaching credentials

The Imperial County Office of Education is responding to the statewide teacher shortage.

Through grants, classified school employees are able to pursue their teaching credentials.

Multiple agencies from various counties have secured funding for 100 applicants and 10 of those applicants are from the Imperial Valley.

“It is very intense as far as the work you are taking in, the amount of information,” said Elijah Banaga, Special Education aide.

Banaga is one of the 10 participants in the classified to certified program and will be receiving as much as $4,000 a year to help cover tuition costs for up to five years.

The Orange County Department of Education is leading the conglomerate which includes San Diego, Imperial and Butte county offices of education.

“The challenges we have in education is turnover rates. If I can keep a teacher for a few years, sometimes they believe the grass is greener on the other side and they make a jump to another district. If I can grow some home grown product, talented students, and get them into education, it’s only better for our community, our students and our staff,” said Douglas Kline, Superintendent of Calipatria Unified School District.

“Because you are a full-time student, you are working in a classroom probably like full-time. So it’s very helpful to know that they understand that and they see where you’re coming from, and they give you that time to finish the work and to complete it,” explained Banaga.

Before this program Banaga was faced with financial challenges when it came to tuition, and had to put his education on hold for two years.

“This gives them an opportunity to extend that education and also not did too deep into the pocket books,” added Kline.

Right now the program is only accepting applicants who have an aa degree, but both Kline and Banaga hope that will expand to employee who have bachelor degrees.

“My plans afterward are to work in special education anywhere in the valley, just to meet the need here, that would be my desire,” said Banaga.

“Anytime that we can get an employee that grew up in our district or in our community, to come back and work for us, our chances of keeping those employees is really strong,” added Kline.

For more information on the qualifications and how to apply for the grant program, you can visit https://www.icoe.org/.