Federal funding cuts threaten teacher recruitment, retainment in rural Idaho classrooms

MERIDIAN, Idaho — Finding qualified and available teachers for Idaho’s rural schools is already difficult enough, but with cuts to federal grants that help sponsor educators to be in these classrooms, Idaho’s education leaders are speaking out.

“It’s hard enough right now to recruit people to be educators,” said Tony Ashton, the Executive Director of the Idaho chapter of Teach for America, based in Meridian.

Teach for America is an AmeriCorp organization that works to provide resources to rural and vulnerable Idaho communities.

Recently terminated federal grants are now affecting these efforts, as Ashton’s Meridian-based team sees $35,000 dollars in cuts.

Loss of this federal funding jeopardizes the placement of about 2,500 new teachers nationwide, including many here in Idaho.

“Many