A second group of 20 college graduates from Arkansas and elsewhere have been named Arkansas Teacher Corps Fellows and will begin teaching in public schools that are in high need of teachers in August -- after six weeks of summer training.
The Arkansas Teacher Corps program was established a year ago by the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville to provide teachers for schools in areas of the state that have difficulty attracting teachers in general and/or attracting teachers for certain subjects, including math and science. Most of the corps members have degrees in fields other than education.
The program provides the corps members with summer training and training throughout the school year, plus a $15,000 stipend paid over three years in addition to the teaching salary from the school district.
The fellowship recipients, their hometowns and educational backgrounds are:
• Mary Beth Breshears, Little Rock, bachelor's degree, studio art, Hendrix College, 2014.
• Hannah Bridges, Clarksville, bachelor's degree, English, Ouachita Baptist University, 2014.
• Christopher Collier, Hot Springs, bachelor's degree, political science, Hendrix College, 1981.
• Stephen Curtis, Fuquay-Varina, N.C., bachelor's degree, fine arts and ceramics, East Carolina University, 2007.
• Davona Hall, Little Rock, master's degree, public administration, Bellevue University, 2013.
• Wyatt Hamilton, North Little Rock, bachelor's degree, history, University of Louisville, 2012.
• Allison Hampton, Paragould, bachelor's degree, education, Arkansas State University, 2014.
• Victoria Hilliard, Fordyce, bachelor's degree, biology, Hendrix College, 2014.
• Shiloh Hurd, Washington, Okla., master's degree, biomedical engineering, University of Arkansas, 2013.
• Emily Jackson, Dierks, bachelor's degree, chemistry, Henderson State University, 2014.
• Venesha Jackson, Lothian, Md., bachelor's degree, science education, Bowie State University, 2008.
• Amber Keefer, Jonesboro, master's degree, education, Arkansas State University, 2014.
• Alana Kennedy, Memphis, bachelor's degree, Christian studies, Ouachita Baptist University, 2014.
• J. Keith, Malvern, bachelor's degree, public relations, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 2013.
• Sarah McNeal, Fayetteville, bachelor's degree, Latin American studies and Spanish, University of Arkansas, 2014.
• Taylor Mott, Jennings, La., bachelor's degree, Spanish, University of Louisiana-Monroe, 2013.
• Radiance Peterson, El Dorado, bachelor's degree, biology, University of Arkansas, 2014.
• Meredith Rowlett, Mountain Home, bachelor's degree, graphic design, Harding University, 2014.
• Jeremy Schulze, Bryant, bachelor's degree, psychology, Hendrix College, 2014.
• Adrian Williams, Gravel Ridge, bachelor's degree, biology, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 2014.
The fellows, whose training will take place in El Dorado, will receive their school assignments over the summer.
Partner schools and school districts this year are Clarendon, Dermott, Forrest City, Hope, Prescott and Pulaski County Special school districts, as well as KIPP-Delta Charter School in Helena-West Helena and Responsive Education Solution's Premier High Charter School in Little Rock.
The 2014 cohort of fellows also will be teaching in several new partner schools and districts.
Those are: Covenant Keepers Charter School in Little Rock, KIPP-Blytheville Charter School and Lighthouse Academy charter schools in Jacksonville, as well as the Dollarway, El Dorado, Fordyce and Texarkana school districts.
Funding for the program has been made available through collaboration among the College of Education and Health Professions, the Walton Family Foundation, the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and the Women's Giving Circle at the University of Arkansas.
The program also is supported by individual donors through the Arkansas Teacher Corps Society.
Metro on 06/17/2014