The Office of Postsecondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education recently announced a notice inviting applications in the Federal Register for the Teachers for a Competitive Tomorrow (TCT) program. The TCT program will award up to four discretionary grants  to institutions of higher education to build partnerships with eligible recipients that will develop and implement 2-or 3-year part-time master’s degree programs in STEM or critical foreign language education for teachers in order to enhance the teachers’ content knowledge and pedagogical skills; or to develop and implement programs for professionals in STEM or critical foreign language education that lead to a master’s degree in teaching that results in teacher certification.
Eligible applicants must enter into a partnership that includes:
- The eligible recipient;
- A department within the eligible applicant that provides a program of study in STEM or a critical foreign language; and a school, department, or program of education within the eligible applicant, or a two year institution of higher education that has a teacher preparation offering or a dual enrollment program with the eligible applicant; or
- A department or school within the eligible applicant with a competency based degree program (in STEM or a critical foreign language) that includes teacher certification; and
- Not less than one high-need LEA and a public school or a consortium of public schools served by the agency. A partnership may include a nonprofit organization that has a demonstrated record of providing expertise or support to meet the purposes of this initiative.
Awards will range from $200,000–$250,000. The deadline to apply is July 30, 2010.