T.E.A.C.H. (Teacher Education And Compensation Helps)
Early Childhood ® ARIZONA Scholarships
T.E.A.C.H. is a scholarship program for early care and education providers in Arizona who want to get their Child Development Associate credential (CDA), certificate of completion, or degree in Early Childhood Education or related field from one of Arizona’s community colleges or public universities. This means that beginning in the Spring of 2009 teachers, administrators and family child care providers will have a way to pay for college coursework when:
- they have an employer (or are a self-employed family care provider) who agrees to sponsor their education
- their sponsor agrees to pay a small percentage, usually 10% of the cost of tuition – for example, this year at Maricopa Community Colleges a sponsor would pay $21.30 for each 3 credit course; at Arizona Western College a sponsor would pay $16.80 for a 3 credit course
- they do not earn over $15.00 per hour
- they take at least 3 courses each academic year – this could be 1 course each semester including a course during the summer
T.E.A.C.H. recipients also receive a travel allowance; only pay 10% of the cost of their books (a $125 book would cost them $12.50); can receive up to 6 hours each week of paid release time because they are balancing work, school and family responsibilities; and receive a bonus or raise for successfully completing their classes. Each T.E.A.C.H. recipient also has a counselor who helps her to figure out the best ways to be a college student.
In return, T.E.A.C.H. recipients must agree to remain at their sponsoring program or to continue to operate their family child care home for one year for each year that they receive the scholarship. For T.E.A.C.H. recipients completing the CDA Assessment, they must agree to remain at their sponsoring program for six months.
The FTF Board decided to fund the first three years of the T.E.A.C.H. statewide scholarship program as a component of Quality First! (Arizona is the 23rd state to join the T.E.A.C.H. network of states,) because we support the professional development of the early childhood workforce. We know that the more education teachers, administrators and family child care providers have, the better they can help prepare children for school and for life. Recently, many of the Regional Partnership Councils in communities, just like yours, across the state also decided to fund T.E.A.C.H. scholarships.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. My program is not participating in Quality First. May I still apply for T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood ® ARIZONA scholarships?
A. At this time T.E.A.C.H. scholarships are only being offered to early care and education providers who are employed in regulated centers or family child care homes participating in the Quality First! program. But some FTF Regional Partnership Councils have included funding for T.E.A.C.H. ®ARIZONA in their funding plans which will begin in July 2009. This additional funding will allow us to provide scholarships to those who are interested but may not be participating in a Quality First early care and education program.
Q. If my employer will not pay a percentage of the tuition cost, can I still participate?
A. Unfortunately, no. One of the essential components of the T.E.A.C.H. Program is a commitment from the sponsoring early care and education program. This commitment is fulfilled by your program when it sponsors and pays the small portion of your tuition and books. You in turn fulfill your commitment to your sponsor by remaining employed at your sponsoring program for one year (6 months if you are a family child care provider) after the completion of your T.E.A.C.H. Program contract.
Q. What are the benefits of participating in T.E.A.C.H. ® ARIZONA?
A. The greatest benefit to providers is that they receive help with paying for coursework and books and/or the CDA Assessment fee. They also receive up to 6 hours per week of paid release time, a $350 bonus for successfully completing a contract for coursework leading to a certificate of completion or a degree. For successfully completing a contract for work for the CDA assessment, providers receive a $200 bonus.
- providers can work towards a CDA (Child Development Associates) credential, a certificate of completion or an Associate’s degree. Scholarships a Bachelor’s degree will be available in the near future. Coursework must be in Early Childhood Education or a related field such as Child and Family Studies.
The greatest benefit to programs and families is that by helping providers to access education, Arizona creates a more capable ECE workforce; by providing compensation for educational success, we reduce staff turnover and supplement the low wages of Arizona providers.
- child care programs benefit from having more qualified staff who have relevant coursework and who stay longer at the program (and in the field) because they receive compensation for being successful students; and,
- children receive higher quality care from consistent and nurturing providers who have education AND experience.