Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo receives over $8 million in federal grants

October 21, 2024

By KAREN VELIE

Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo received two grants, totaling more than $8 million, from the U.S. Department of Education to help address a variety of critical issues and areas of need in education.

With the funding, faculty and staff will recruit, train and support a diverse pool of more than 1,500 teachers; help address current classroom challenges and teacher shortages; better serve bilingual students and students with disabilities; and continue to encourage long-term career success for program graduates.

About one in 10 of all teaching positions across the United States are unfilled or filled by individuals without certifications, according to data published by the educational research organization WestEd.

“I hear from superintendents all the time about the need for teachers, including in specialized teaching areas such as special education and English learner instruction,” said Chance Hoellwarth, director of the School of Education. “We’re really trying to change the local educational environment in a variety of synergistic ways that I believe will be impactful for students, teacher candidates and teachers.”

Cal Poly will partner on this work with school districts in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, Cuesta and Allan Hancock community colleges, as well as community organizations including the Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project and the California Mini-Corps Program.

 


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I’m lucky enough to know a handful of local teachers who work in SLO and Santa Maria.

It’s a tough job getting tougher… like those in nursing. Of course there’s a shortage!

Why would anyone lay down all that money and time to get a degree then kill themselves fighting administrators, parents and even students.

One retired teacher friend said she can no longer recommend teaching as a career.

A 8 million dollar donation will do nothing to change this culture at the university level unless it pays the fees and expenses for people willing to commit to this service job.

It unbelievable that with the tuition they collect and the endowments they receive they can’t cover this. I agree with Big Red. In the long run the sleepwalkers will awaken a realize most degrees and the “ certification “ game has transitioned into a expensive scam. Sooner or later all institutions become primarily self serving first. It’s part of their nature and lifespan, I’m sorry to say.


The higher education scam will end soon. 90% of degrees are already worthless. Never bothered me until we started bailing out those who wasted time and outrageous amounts of money with our tax $. Pay your billls… get to work.


As if this Elite schools 200 million dollar a year budget isn’t enough and yet they charge CA citizens to attend a school we Pay For. I hate Cal Poly. With a multi million dollar electrical bill benefiting Gov contractors causing wars abroad and Crooked toxic Ag.


All I read from that, is higher pay and benefits…