2 WMU education programs impacted by nationwide funding cuts
WMU said it was part of the department's recent slashing of nearly $900 million in contracts nationwide from the .
On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Education said more than $350 million in ' was canceled. Some of the cuts were to contracts the department claims were found to be 'wasteful' and 'ideologically driven.'
'Instead of improving outcomes for students, here's where taxpayer dollars were going: – $4.6M contract to coordinate zoom and in-person meetings – $3.0M contract to write a report that showed that prior reports were not utilized by schools – $1.4M contract to physically observe mailing and clerical operations,' from the department on X, formerly known as Twitter, said.
However, the cuts are affecting a WMU program focused on improving education. One program is the Urban Teacher Residency Program. A grant of $5 million has backed the program's efforts to curb a shortage of teachers in several Southwest Michigan districts like Benton Harbor and Kalamazoo. In the program, paraprofessionals and long-term substitutes would be able to obtain graduate-level certification.
WMU said approximately 20 graduate students are wrapping up their training. A source in the program said around a million dollars were left in the grant before the announcement.
'One of UTRP's many elements required that a portion of these future teachers come from racially diverse backgrounds. This program at Western is close to concluding,' a university spokesperson said in an email to News 8.
Some of those goals in the include increasing the number of certified teachers in high-need areas by at least 90 over the five-year program and improving three-year retention in those areas. So far, 20 cohorts have graduated from the program.
A spokesperson for the National Center for Teacher Residencies said these programs are affordable pathways for prospective teachers to enter the field.
'In turn, the teacher residency programs support school districts in need of teachers to fill hard-to-staff subject areas, including STEM, special education, and multilingual programs, and underserved communities, including rural and urban areas,' the NCTR said in an email.
Federal funds are critical to program completion, and without the grants, the NCTR said local teacher shortages will worsen.
Another WMU program affected is the High-Impact Leadership for School Projects. Under the $15 million grant, the project helped districts in the state find ways to improve literacy in elementary and middle schools. The program had two years left on the grant. University officials said the grants were with the IES and were focused on evidence-based solutions.
A WMU spokesperson said the school will appeal to maintain the programs. If that fails, the university is also looking into how federal decisions will impact students, faculty and staff involved in the initiatives.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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