Gwinnett County public teachers who want to earn advanced degrees without taking on the cost themselves now can, thanks to their school district and Georgia State University.
Georgia State and Gwinnett County Public Schools announced Wednesday they have partnered to allow teachers pursuing a master’s in STEM subjects to complete their degree online. Cathy Hardin, Gwinnett’s chief human resources officer, said that this is in line with the district’s mission.
“Providing teachers with the opportunity to advance their education and sharpen their skills as educators falls right in line with ‘effectiveness’ and ‘excellence,’ key tenets of our Blueprint for the Future,” Hardin said in a news release.
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This comes after Cobb County earlier this year created Georgia’s BEST, a similar program through the University of West Georgia, paying for teachers to earn their free master’s degree. School districts across Georgia are looking for new ways to retain teachers through additional training or financial incentives.
To qualify for the Gwinnett program, teachers need to have a certificate in either middle level education, science or math. They need to fill out the application and interest form. Once someone joins the program, they must sign a contract with Gwinnett County for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years.
Georgia State’s STEM education program allows for students to pick from computer science, math education, science education or “integrated middle-level.” It is specifically tailored to help educators learn, and teach, about STEM to middle and high school students.
The deadline is July 15.
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