Schools obtain teaching grant

By Abe Nelson

Published: April 3, 2008

An $856,541 grant means that about 100 Prince William School teachers will have to go to summer school, but Kenneth Bassett, the Prince William County Schools supervisor of social studies, said they won't mind.

The U.S. Department of Education recently announced that it awarded the three-year grant that will pay for the teachers who want to bone up on their American history.

"This is the type of thing I think our teachers will be really excited about, because it provides them with the kinds of things that really are ideal in terms of professional development. You want to keep sharp and current on your skills," Bassett said.

The "Teaching American History" grant program, aimed primarily at middle school teachers, will allow the teachers to attend week-long summer seminars with "noted historians from around the country," Bassett said.

So the teachers will be back in class.

"It's not really a grant that focuses on teaching methodologies. It's really intensive professional development on American history facts, important figures and important events," Bassett said.

School systems that receive the grant will be required to partner with at least one organization with "extensive knowledge of American history," including libraries, museums, non-profit history or humanities organizations, stated a department of education press release.

This year, the Teaching American History program will award 121 new grants worth $114.7 million to schools districts in 40 states nationwide, the release stated. 

Bassett said several school officials worked nights and weekends crafting the grant that went through at an opportune time.

"When folks are in tough budget times as we are in the county right now, people in our schools are doing everything we can to get every resource we can to our kids," he said.

Keith Walker can be reached at 703-369-6751.