In a single afternoon, Project Inspire lost a little under half of its funding — and with it, a pipeline that has placed more than 150 educators in high-need Hamilton County classrooms since 2011.
On April 29, the Public Education Foundation received four hours’ notice that its AmeriCorps funding — roughly $400,000 for this year — would be terminated.
“We were told at 1 o’clock that our program was being terminated as of 5 o’clock,” foundation President Dan Challener said.
Project Inspire pairs candidates with veteran teachers for a yearlong residency while they earn a master’s degree from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. The AmeriCorps support, which was a $22,000 living allowance for each of the 18 residents, allowed participants to train full-time without outside employment.
“It’s the money that keeps food on the table while they’re doing this really hard year,” Challener said.