Education Funding

Donors Underwriting National-Board Fees

By Bess Keller — April 10, 2007 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Two prominent corporations are channeling support to teachers seeking national certification as a way to advance some of the donors’ charitable causes.

Fannie Mae, the federally chartered home-mortgage company, has put up an initial $1.3 million to help as many as 250 public school teachers in the District of Columbia win certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Those same teachers will also be eligible for down-payment assistance of $10,000 so they can buy homes in the nation’s capital.

Separately, GlaxoSmithKline, an international pharmaceutical and health-care company, has announced a $1 million endowment to support about 50 American science teachers a year seeking the national credential.

The fee for the extensive assessments that lead to the voluntary national certification in specific teaching fields is $2,500. Another expense for school districts that want to encourage the credential is hiring nationally certified teachers to coach candidates through the process, which usually lasts at least a year.

A spokeswoman for Fannie Mae said she did not yet know exactly how the money targeted for certification would be spent by the District of Columbia schools. The fund is part of $10 million in new contributions the secondary-mortgage-market company is making in Washington, where it is based. In addition to the $1.3 million for teachers, $2 million is to go this year to upgrade high school athletic facilities, support after-school activities, and open more school recreational facilities to residents.

The GlaxoSmithKline fund proceeds will be distributed as scholarships covering teachers’ assessment fees. The giant pharmaceutical company, whose U.S. headquarters are in Research Triangle Park, N.C., works to improve science education. Its charitable giving focuses on health care and education.

A version of this article appeared in the April 11, 2007 edition of Education Week

Events

Teaching Profession K-12 Essentials Forum New Insights Into the Teaching Profession
Join this free virtual event to get exclusive insights from Education Week's State of Teaching project.
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Helping Students Succeed in Math

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Funding A 'Tsunami' of Uncertainty Is Crashing Into Federal Funding for Schools
The Trump administration has cut grants, terminated contracts, delayed funding estimates, and cut off communications to districts.
13 min read
Image of stacked cubes representing money falling down.
JuSun/iStock/Getty
Education Funding Principals Urge Ed. Department: Leave School Safety Funding Alone
Schools need access to funds for mental health professionals and other student services, say principals who've experienced school shootings.
5 min read
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon listens to members of the Principal Recovery Network during their annual meeting on June 9, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon listens to members of the Principal Recovery Network during their annual meeting on June 9, 2025, in Washington.
Courtesy of Allyssa Hynes/NASSP
Education Funding Trump Admin. Says California’s K-12 Funding Is at Risk. What Would It Mean?
Title I and IDEA funding could be caught up in the battle between the White House and the largest state, which is led by Democrats.
10 min read
President Donald Trump takes a question from a reporter during an event signing a bill blocking California's rule banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035, in the East Room of the White House on June 12, 2025, in Washington.
President Donald Trump takes a question from a reporter during an event where he signed a resolution blocking California's rule banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035 in the East Room of the White House on June 12, 2025. Trump's administration has reportedly discussed halting "formula funds" to the state's education department.
Alex Brandon/AP
Education Funding The Trump Budget for K-12 Schools: 5 Key Takeaways
The administration wants to cut roughly $7 billion in annual K-12 funding. Much of it supports vulnerable students.
6 min read
A kindergarten student raises her hand in a dual-language immersion class.
A kindergarten student raises her hand in a dual-language immersion class. Among other changes, President Donald Trump's fiscal 2026 budget would end dedicated federal funding for supplemental services for English learners.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed