ABCTE Partners With Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to Recruit More Teachers of Color for High-Need Florida Schools

Washington, DC (Vocus) September 30, 2008 -- The American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (www.abcte.org) (ABCTE) today announced it has partnered with the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (http://fshcc.com) (FSHCC) to recruit and certify more teachers of color for high-need Florida schools.

Currently, only 16% of teachers nationwide are individuals of color, compared with 41% of the student populations. FSHCC and ABCTE will work together on community outreach and obtaining local business involvement. The partnership has the goal of recruiting 300 new teachers for Florida schools over the next year. Free information sessions on the scholarship program will be held throughout the state this October.

ABCTE's Teach and Inspire Scholarship Program offers a scholarship to earn certification and a $1000 stipend to program participants, and requires a 3-year teaching commitment in a high-need district and school. The scholarship is available for those pursuing Florida state teaching certification in the critical areas of math, science, and special education. Individuals can complete ABCTE's online certification program without additional college courses, and while working full-time. In order to obtain certification, candidates must demonstrate mastery on subject area and professional teaching knowledge examinations.

ABCTE's Teach and Inspire Scholarship Program currently works with the following districts in Florida: Broward, DeSoto, Duval, Gadsden, Hardee, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Polk, and Volusia.

Individuals in the scholarship program are given additional support and mentorship throughout their program and once they enter the classroom. Already the scholarship program has recruited more than 150 career changers and recent college graduates to enter the teaching profession.

Founded in February 2000, the FSHCC includes 28 chapters and more than 30,000 members. It is the only statewide economic development organization that addresses the Hispanic business market exclusively. The Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce offers Hispanic-owned and Hispanic-responsive businesses a voice at a local and state level, as well as a reliable venue for business development, marketing, continuing education and networking.

"We look forward to working with the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to find new ways to reach potential teachers in the Hispanic community," said ABCTE president David W. Saba.

"We are very excited about our partnership with the ABCTE Teach and Inspire Scholarship Program to host information sessions throughout Florida for aspiring teachers," said Julio Fuentes, president & CEO of the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Last year, 72,000 Florida students started the school year without a qualified teacher. America needs millions of new teachers over the next decade, and ABCTE is working hard to encourage more talented professionals to pursue teaching. ABCTE's Teach and Inspire Scholarship Program targets highly knowledgeable career changers to help fill teacher shortages in high-need schools, districts, and subject areas.

To learn more about the information sessions, visit www.abcte.org/events

About ABCTE

The American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence is a non-profit organization, dedicated to recruiting, preparing, certifying and supporting dedicated professionals to improve student achievement through quality teaching. ABCTE is an innovative teacher preparation and certification program for highly knowledgeable individuals who want to change careers and become teachers. For more information about ABCTE, please visit www.abcte.org

About the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

FSHCC's mission is to promote the economic advancement of the Florida Hispanic community, with a focus on economic and political empowerment, and public advocacy to improve the quality of life in the state of Florida. For more information, please visit http://fshcc.com

For more information, please contact:

Mike Holden, Director of Public Relations

Phone (202) 261-2636, Cell: (703) 606-8398 (media only)

E-mail: mholden @ abcte.org

Julio Fuentes, President and CEO

Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Cell: (561) 889-6655

E-mail: Julio @ fshcc.com

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