Minnesota schools face a critical shortage of teachers, especially teachers of color, in nearly all subjects. The shortage is more pervasive in Greater Minnesota than the seven-county metro area.
- 1,400 teachers retire without enough new teachers gaining licenses to replace them.
- 1,200 shortfall of new teachers graduating from Minnesota teacher preparation institutions and receiving licenses in 2013 to replace those who left the profession.
- One-quarter of new teachers leave the profession within three years.
A new Minnesota Promising Teachers financial aid program could shift this trend and help attract teachers to schools with the greatest needs in Minnesota.
How It Works
- Provide need-based grants and forgivable loans to students pursuing teaching
- Eligible while enrolled in the last year of a bachelor’s program or teacher prep program and loan forgiveness after employment in a participating rural school district
- Cover tuition, fees, supplies and books as well as provide a living-wage stipend for student teaching. They also would supplement expected student earnings for housing and food when not student teaching
Minnesota Promising Teachers would commit to teaching in a shortage subject and region for a minimum of five years following graduation and initial licensing. For the first five years that they teach in a rural district, they would receive an annual amount for loan forgiveness and after five years would reach the full loan forgiveness amount.
