State looking to add more English learning teachers
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The Indiana Department of Education on Monday announced it is partnering with the University of Indianapolis to bolster the pipeline of English learning teachers in Indiana. The department says the Indiana Teachers of English Learnings Licensure, or I-TELL, initiative will provide assistance for individuals looking to earn their English as a New Language (ENL) license.
The initiative is being implemented through UIndy’s Center of Excellence in Leadership and Learning (CELL).
Using $2 million from Indiana’s federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding, the initiative will fund tuition, books, material fees for current teachers and those with bachelor’s degrees to complete the necessary coursework for ENL licensure.
The IDOE says the program will also provide financial support for those who choose to transition to a new career in teaching.
“The number of students in Indiana who don’t speak English as their first language continues to rapidly grow,” Carey Dahncke, executive director of CELL, said in a news release. “For these students, the need to have access to highly qualified English language teachers is critically important. I-TELL will offer assistance to the many schools across the state who need more of these English learner licensed teachers.”
The department says the number of teachers with an ENL license grew by 38% from 2019 to 2021.
Once accepted into the I-TELL program, participants can apply to the online ENL programs at eight higher education institutions in Indiana: Butler University, Goshen College, Huntington University, Indiana State University, Indiana University East, Indiana Wesleyan University, Marian University, Purdue University, Taylor University, and UIndy.
You can learn more about the I-TELL initiative by clicking here.