Several schools, districts and education groups in metro Atlanta are among the winners of $7.1 million in education grant money designed to spur innovation and improve student achievement.
Gov. Nathan Deal Wednesday named 11 winners statewide who will receive funding to start up charter schools, develop support systems for new teachers and boost opportunities in science, technology engineering and math (STEM) fields. Five were from the metro area.
The innovation grant program is a piece of Georgia's $400 million Race to the Top earnings, which were awarded to the state by the Obama Administration to help jump start changes in public education. It's the second time money from the $19.4 million grant program has been handed out.
"The Race to the Top Innovation Fund provides a unique opportunity for communities to collaborate and leverage their expertise to develop innovative solutions in education,” Deal said in a statement.
Among the local winners, two groups with plans to start STEM-style charter schools in south Cobb County. The Smyrna Educational Alliance is getting $50,000 to partner with Georgia State University, Georgia Tech and Lockheed Martin Corp. to create the "Smyrna Academy of Excellence." Kennesaw State University and Southern Polytechnic State University will receive $50,000 to work with Cobb County Schools to create the "STEM Inventors Academy."
Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School will receive about $918,000 to work with Georgia State's College of Education on a plan to address problems with the way new teachers are trained and supported.
Matt Underwood, executive director of the charter school, said the goal is to figure out better ways to keep people in the classroom during what can be a difficult first three years.
"We hope if we do this and it is a success, we can expand it through the entire district," he said. "We hope it can be a good partnership between charter and non-charter schools."
Other local winners included STEM program for overage eighth grade students in Gwinnett County Public Schools, and a teacher training program through Morehouse College and Clayton County Schools.
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