January 2013, T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA Sponsoring Center Manual
T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA is administered by:
Child Care Aware of Minnesota
380 Lafayette Road E, Suite 130
Saint Paul, MN 55107
(651) 290-9704
www.childcareawaremn.org
January 2013
Scholarship Introduction & Overview
r What is T.E.A.C.H
r History of the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® project
r History of T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® MINNESOTA
r T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® MINNESOTA mission statement
r Administering organization
r Funding
r Available scholarships
r Eligibility
r Role of the counselor
College Application and Admissions Process
r Applying for Financial Aid
Scholarship Recipient Policies and Procedures
r Contract Requirements
r Requirements of the Scholarship Recipient
r Commitment Year
r Failing to Complete Your Commitment Year
r Bonus and/or Raise
r Contract Completion
Reimbursement Forms & Procedures
r Tuition & Book Payments
r Release Time
T.E.A.C.H. Communication
r Newsletter
r T.E.A.C.H. Web Site
r Facebook
T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA College Directory
Appendix 1: Release Time (Form C) Instructions
What is the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® MINNESOTA program?
T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® MINNESOTA is a scholarship program intended to help early childhood and school-age care professionals increase their levels of education, compensation and commitment to the field.
History of the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Program
The Teacher Education And Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H.) Early Childhood® Program began in North Carolina in 1990 to upgrade the level of education of the teachers working with young children, while making the educational process affordable, increasing wages and reducing turnover.
Over the past two decades, the program has received national attention as one of the first to link teacher education and compensation. Because of the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood ® project, teachers have completed on average 14 college credits per year, turnover rates have decreased and salaries have increased. The program has since expanded to more than 20 states across the nation. For more information on the creation of T.E.A.C.H. in North Carolina and states that currently administer the program, visit www.childcareservices.org.
History of T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® MINNESOTA
T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® MINNESOTA, a program of Child Care Aware of Minnesota, began in 2002. During the first year of T.E.A.C.H., the program served a select portion of Minnesota only, offering the CDA and associate degree scholarship options. During the fall of 2003, T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA awarded its first bachelor’s degree scholarship. T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA serves child care providers and centers statewide, offering a variety of scholarship models to meet providers’ needs.
As the licensee agency, Child Care Aware of Minnesota sets Minnesota’s policies and procedures for operating the T.E.A.C.H. program within the guidelines established by North Carolina, the license holder of the T.E.A.C.H Early Childhood® project. In making decisions that impact T.E.A.C.H., Child Care Awae of Minnesota utilizes input from the T.E.A.C.H. Advisory Committee and other key early care and education stakeholders.
To continue operating a successful program, T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA also evaluates recipients and sponsoring centers on an annual basis to better understand their experience with the program and to make necessary changes for improvement.
T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA’s Mission Statement
The mission of T.E.A.C.H. is to promote and provide support needed for child care professionals to increase their level of education, retention and compensation, while ensuring that it is economically and professionally feasible for individuals to stay in the field.
Administering Organization
Child Care Aware of Minnesota, which administers T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA, is dedicated to assisting families, providers and communities with child care information and services. For more information about Child Care Aware of Minnesota visit www.childcareawaremn.org.
Funding
T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® MINNESOTA is funded largely through federal dollars but also receives some foundation support. T.E.A.C.H., the scholarship recipient and the sponsoring child care center (when applicable) all pay a portion of educational costs.
Available Scholarships
· CDA Training for College Credit
o This scholarship covers some of the credits needed to meet the training requirement for the National Child Development Associate Credential (CDA). This scholarship is available for studies at Dakota County Technical College, Mesabi Range Community and Technical College and Leech Lake Tribal College.
· Associate Degree Scholarship
o This scholarship is for child care and school-age care professionals who are working towards a two-year degree in Early Childhood Education or Child Development.
· Bachelor Degree Scholarship
o This scholarship is for child care and school-age care professionals who are working towards a four-year degree in Early Childhood Education or Child Development.
· Student Teaching Scholarship
o This scholarship is available to child care and school-age care professionals who are enrolled in Student Teaching and are able to work 10 hours/week while completing their student teaching requirements.
· Judy Lindman Memorial Scholar Forgivable Loan Program
o This forgivable loan is available to high school seniors who want to pursue a two-year degree in Child Development or Early Childhood Education.
With the exception of the Judy Lindman Memorial award, all scholarship models are available to Minnesota early childhood and school-age care professionals who work full-time or part-time in a legally regulated or licensed child care/school-age care program or operate a licensed family child care program and meet the eligibility requirements.
Eligibility Requirements*
r Be a U.S. citizen or legal resident
r Work in Minnesota
r Have a high school diploma or GED
r Work directly with children at least 15 hours per week for a minimum of 780 hours per year
r Be employed by your current program or working under your current family child care license for at least six months at the time of application
r Accepted into an approved Minnesota accredited college or university early childhood/child development program or
r Pursuing a National Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential for college credits (at one of the institutions named earlier in this manual)
r Agree to continue working at least one additional year beyond your contract year at your current child care or school-age care program (i.e. commitment year)
*Home-based programs are not eligible for this scholarship, i.e. Early Head Start
Role of the Counselor
One feature that makes the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® MINNESOTA Scholarship Program unique is providing scholarship recipients with a Program Counselor. Counselors answer questions regarding scholarship contracts and policies/procedures, and provide suggestions regarding scholarship options. The counselor communicates on behalf of recipients with participating colleges and universities to ensure prompt payment for approved classes. Counselors are an important component of the program; they help make T.E.A.C.H. a success for everyone.
Applying for Financial Aid
T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® MINNESOTA scholarship recipients are required to apply for other sources of financial aid. Working full-time and attending school is challenging and financial aid can alleviate financial stresses. Recipients must apply for both federal and state funded financial aid by completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form. For more information, visit www.fafsa.ed.gov/index.html or call 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243). Recipients must also contact their college/university’s financial aid office for additional information on financial aid opportunities available at their college/university.
Contract Requirements & Eligibility
To help individuals understand the paperwork required for our program, new T.E.A.C.H. scholarship recipients receive a binder including their contract, a recipient handbook and other useful information. In all scholarship award packets (with or without binder), each T.E.A.C.H. recipient receives two copies of the scholarship contract that outlines the agreement and each participant’s responsibilities. All copies must be signed by T.E.A.C.H., the scholarship recipient and their sponsoring center. The recipient is required to mail in one of the signed contracts to T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA; this must be mailed with the original signature on it (not a copy). The remaining contract is for the recipient. Centers are encouraged to make a copy of the contract to keep on file. The contract outlines each party’s responsibilities.
Requirements of the Scholarship Recipient
· Each semester, recipients are responsible to pay a portion of tuition and books, depending on the scholarship model. (For specific information, refer to the contract.)
· The contract runs for a full year from the term that it is awarded (i.e. fall 2012 through summer 2013). The scholarship recipient must successfully complete a minimum of nine credits within the contract year to be eligible for the bonus/raise, but T.E.A.C.H. MINNESOTA will cover up to a maximum of 15 credits. (Authorized credits covered by the Pell Grant or other outside funds do count toward the 15 credit maximum.)
· Recipients who choose to take additional credits above the contract limit can pay for the credits themselves or utilize student loans or self loans, if eligible.
· Upon successful completion of the commitment year, which occurs the year following a contract, scholarship recipients will receive compensation in the form of a bonus or raise from their sponsoring center and/or from Child Care Aware of Minnesota depending upon the scholarship model. However, in order for Child Care Aware of Minnesota to issue a bonus to the recipient and/or a compensation letter to the sponsoring center, recipients must submit all required grade reports and paperwork to Child Care Aware of Minnesota. Recipients must also have a balance due to T.E.A.C.H. of less than $100.
· If recipient fails to submit required paperwork, the T.E.A.C.H. program counselor will attempt to collect necessary paperwork by submitting letters and phone calls to recipient. After at least three unsuccessful contacts, the scholarship may be rescinded and the recipient along with their employer will be responsible for paying Child Care Aware of Minnesota back for all monies expended on their behalf. The recipient may also be ineligible for future scholarships.
· If a recipient submits paperwork after the scholarship has been rescinded, T.E.A.C.H. will reverse the charges, but the recipient will still be ineligible for receiving additional funds under the affected contract and will not be eligible to receive the bonus. However, the recipient may be eligible to apply for future T.E.A.C.H. scholarships.
Commitment Year
For each contract period completed, the recipient commits to working at least one additional year at their sponsoring center (commitment year). A commitment year immediately follows the completed contract. With the exception of the Judy Lindman forgivable loan award, all scholarship models require an additional year of commitment.
Failing to Complete your Commitment Year
Recipients will not be required to pay back funds if:
· Medical reason(s) made it impossible for him/her to complete the terms of the contract (a letter from a physician will need to be submitted);
· He/she was laid off due to low enrollment or the center closed (a statement will need to be signed by the director); or
· Any other circumstances that Child Care Aware of Minnesota and/or the T.E.A.C.H. Advisory Committee feels appropriate under this clause.
Recipients will be required to pay back funds if:
· He/she quits current position;
· He/she was fired due to performance issues;
· He/she lost the ability to operate under the child care license (e.g. violated the terms of their license, license suspended or revoked);
· He/she has changed his/her major and is no longer pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education/Child Development; or
· Any other circumstances that Child Care Aware of Minnesota and/or the T.E.A.C.H. Advisory Committee feels appropriate under this clause.
Bonus and/or Raise
Center Staff Compensation
Upon successful completion of the commitment year, recipients receive compensation from their sponsoring center and/or Child Care Aware of Minnesota, depending upon their scholarship model. Compensation may be a bonus, raise or combination of both; this compensation is to be in addition to any other normally expected raise or bonus from the center. The center director will be notified approximately six months following the contract end date to award compensation as outlined in the contract to the recipient. Compensation choices fall under two options:
Option One: Bonus
The sponsoring center issues a $250 bonus approximately six months after successful completion of the contract period. The bonus is issued in addition to any other expected bonus or raise received by the scholarship recipient in that year. (For part-time scholarship recipients the bonus is $125.)
Option Two: Raise
The sponsoring center will issue a two percent raise to the recipient approximately six months after completion of a successful contract. (For part-time scholarship recipients the raise is 1.5%.)
**For school districts and other entities unable to pay a bonus or raise T.E.A.C.H. will work with them to create another compensation option.
If the scholarship recipient chooses to leave employment at the sponsoring program or is fired due to performance before the commitment year is completed, the recipient forfeits all coming bonus/raise payments and may be held responsible to pay all tuition charges and other payments made by Child Care Aware of Minnesota.
Contract Completion
If employment is terminated or the recipient resigns from the sponsoring center anytime during the contract/commitment period the contract becomes invalid as of the last day of employment. Recipients are required to contact their counselor if their employment status changes. Recipients who do not fulfill all contract obligations are no longer eligible for the scholarship or possibly other programs offered through T.E.A.C.H. and/or Child Care Aware of Minnesota (e.g. REETAIN). Recipients may be held responsible to pay back all tuition charges or reimbursements made by Child Care Aware of Minnesota and release time paid by their sponsoring center (if the center chooses to bill the recipient). If a recipient loses their position due to reasons out of their control, they will not be liable for monies paid out on their behalf. Please contact the T.E.A.C.H. office for more information regarding these policies.
Tuition and Book Payments
T.E.A.C.H. will set up third party billing arrangements with every school where the recipient is taking approved credits. We require the recipients to send us an authorization form for the classes they are taking. T.E.A.C.H. will then communicate with the college to authorize payment for those credits. Once the schools have received our authorization, the school usually bills us one to two weeks after their drop/add deadline. (Some schools differ.) After we receive the bill and all of the recipient’s documents, we will pay for tuition and process the additional paperwork (e.g. recipient’s Form B for book reimbursement). The recipient may get a check or invoice from T.E.A.C.H. depending on the status of their account balance due.
With a few exceptions, recipients must purchase textbooks upfront and submit receipts to Child Care Aware of Minnesota for 80 percent reimbursement of the cost of the books. (No reimbursement is provided for sales tax, shipping costs and/or school supplies such as notebooks, calculators, pens/pencils, etc.) As soon as books are purchased, recipients should complete a Form B, attach a copy of the book receipt and a copy of the course schedule and send it to their counselor.