Washington, DC--Congressman Eliot Engel announced that Lehman College will receive $7,662,612 in a grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Teacher Quality Partnership grant program for the Mathematics Achievement with Teachers of High-need Urban Populations (MATH-UP) Program. This money was made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Rep. Engel said, “Lehman College provides an outstanding education for young adults in the Bronx and the surrounding regions. I am proud to say my experiences as an undergraduate at Hunter/Lehman College, and later while earning my masters from Lehman College, helped me to reach my professional goals. This grant will enable another generation of leaders achieve their dreams as well, and in turn be role models for an even-younger generation.”

The MATH-UP initiative will train 125 teachers to better instruct Bronx students in math skills, and reflect the diverse nature of the Borough. It will help train the educators to communicate with students who speak languages other than English, and inspire teachers to make a long-term commitment to teaching urban students.

This program is part of the larger goal of the U.S. Department of Education to improve teacher quality and student academic success. The Teacher Quality Partnership grant reforms traditional university teacher preparation programs and creates residency programs for other professionals looking to enter the teaching profession.

The 11-term Congressman said, “As a former educator, I am happy to play a part in helping new teachers and administrators receive the training they need to teach our children. Only through ever-improving education will our country better compete in a world economy of the 21st Century. This grant, and others like it, are part of ARRA’s commitment to not only jumpstarting our economy today, but keeping it running smoothly for decades to come.”

"This major grant represents a significant step forward not only for the Bronx and New York City but also for the effort to reform our nation's schools. Lehman College has a mission to make a difference in the future of teacher education. This grant will create a new MATH-UP program for teachers of grades 1-6 before they enter the profession. With this preparation, they will be able to give younger students a stronger foundation in math upon which to build, including students with special needs and those for whom English is their second language,” said Lehman College President Ricardo R. Fernández.

“Teaching has never been more difficult, or more important,” said Education Secretary Arne Duncan. “The need for student success has never been more urgent. These grants will strengthen teacher preparation and residency programs to ensure that new teachers, whether entering from college or from other careers, have the skills to boost student learning and be highly effective in today’s diverse and challenging classrooms.”