Sheridan Community Schools is one of three Indiana school corporations chosen to receive grants from Duke Energy Indiana. Sheridan along with the Greater Clark County Schools and Vincennes Community Schools will receive a total of $75,000.
The corporations will receive their funds through the Marian University Academy for Teaching and Learning Leadership (MU-ATLL).
Each of the three school corporations will receive a customized program from MU-ATLL, which provides graduate-level education to those who aspire to become K-12 teachers, and current K-12 teachers seeking to become principals or administrators in their schools.
“Developing great teachers is one of the most valuable things we can do to support education in our state,” Duke Energy Indiana President Doug Esamann said. “A dynamic teacher can be key to student achievement, and Marian University is using this grant to help three Indiana school systems reach new levels of teacher training.”
Current teachers in the Greater Clark County Schools will obtain credit toward an advanced degree and licensure as a school principal through MU-ATLL’s Building Level Administrator program. The program consists of monthly courses and meetings tailored to meet the needs of the school corporation.
Attracting teachers for math, science and foreign language is difficult for K-12 schools nationally, but the problem has been especially challenging for Vincennes Community Schools due to changing demographics and declining population in the area. The additional financial support is available to ensure that teachers in these high-need subject areas receive required certifications. Training provided through MU-ATLL will allow teachers to obtain full licensure through the state, and qualify them for high-demand teaching positions.
The population in Hamilton County is growing faster than any area of the state. In order to minimize the growing pains that inevitably accompany rapid growth, Sheridan Community Schools is embarking on a strategic visioning process to engage the local community and set a course of action for the next five years. Duke Energy Indiana has committed financial support for the process, which will help ensure the schools’ ability to serve a student population that is expected to increase significantly in the next decade.
Marian University is partnering with Sheridan Community Schools to provide strategic planning services and marketing/communication materials to maximize success and engagement.
“We are thankful to have the assistance of Marian University and Duke Energy as we look to develop our future goals for Sheridan Community Schools,” Dr. Dave Mundy, superintendent of Sheridan Community Schools, said. “Their efforts in supporting our communitywide needs assessment are playing an important part in the planning process.”
“Marian University was founded more than 75 years ago as a teacher’s college, and we continue producing to this day some of the state’s best teachers,” Marian University President Daniel J. Elsener said.
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