The Arnie Cutler Scholarship 

for Mathematics Course Work for Middle Grades Teachers

Supported by the MCTM Foundation and MCTM

Target Audience: 

• Licensed Tier 3 & 4 Minnesota Middle school teachers currently teaching mathematics in   grades five through nine. 

• Must have at least two years of teaching experience.

• Must expect to continue teaching mathematics in grades 5-9.  

• Includes teachers of Special Education and of English Language Learners who areworking in middle school settings and ABE instructors working with adult clients on middle school level mathematics.

• Must be an MCTM member. 

Purpose:  The purpose of this grant is to provide financial support for improving and deepening teachers’ understanding of mathematics and pedagogy. Coursework in either of these two areas is the focus of this scholarship. Coursework should be from an accredited college or university and grant academic credit. CEUs may be appropriate if associated with an accredited institution.Scholarships with a maximum of $1200 each will be awarded. Proposals must address the following: rationale for the coursework, anticipated instructional improvements, and expected impact on student learning.  

Grant Amount:  Maximum of $1,200; half is paid upon acceptance of scholarship.  The other half is paid upon submission of the report, receipts for expenses, and evidence of course completion. The course must be completed within 1 year. 

For more information, contact the Foundation Chair at Foundation@mctm.org

Two Deadlines: Only complete applications will be considered. Note: This personal award may be subject to income taxes. 

All Application components must be received by this Deadline	Applicants will be notified by:
March 31	May 15
October 31	December 15

Notes: Application requires electronic submission of applicant/s personal information, a short proposal, a budget, background and experience, administrative letter of support, and a headshot photo appropriate for publicity

Application process:  

1. Submit your application to the electronic form:  Arnie Cutler Scholarship Application Form
2. Prepare the following additional documents to be submitted in the online form.  These must be submitted electronically, as a PDF. 

A.   Proposal (Three pages maximum).  Please address all of the following bulleted items.

• State your reasons for taking this course work in mathematics.List the course(s) you plan to take. Include institution, course title, catalog description, and number of credits. (IF APPLICABLE)
  
• List any post-graduate mathematics course(s) you have completed. Include name of college or university, course title, catalog description, and number of credits.
• Describe how completing the proposed course(s) will help you improve your teaching and affect your students’ learning.
• Include an itemized budget for the use of scholarship funds (presented by line item in a table format similar to the example presented below).  Funds may be used for tuition, books, supplies, transportation, and other expenses related to achieving the goals of the proposal.  Indicate any expenses that will be paid by stipends, other scholarships, or school or district support.

         Itemized BudgetExample :

B.   Background and Experience (Two pages maximum; outline format preferred)

• Formal Education:  Give the institution, type of degree, major, minor and dates completed.  
• Teaching Experience related to this proposal. List the school(s), teaching assignments and dates that accurately summarize your teaching career. 
• Continuing Education and Professional Activities:  List a few professional-development activities completed during the last three years (e.g., workshops, conferences, classes) that have helped you to become a better mathematics teacher.
• Professional memberships:  List your memberships in any professional organizations and any offices held, committee service, etc. 

3. Administrative Letter of Support. This letter must be on school or district letterhead, signed by the administrator, and submitted digitally with the online application.

• Strong support for the proposal; 
• Verification of your teaching status.

4. Final Report Requirements:  

• Awardees will be required to submit a brief (no more than three pages) report to the Foundation in the form of a letter OR an article for MathBits, the organization’s newsletter, OR  a presentation at an MCTM Conference.
  
• The report should include a description of how the coursework impacted you and your students’ understanding  of mathematics. 
  
• Half of the approved budget, not to exceed $600, will be paid at the beginning of the project.  The remainder will be paid on receipt of a final report and verified expenses (with receipts) related to the proposal.

For more information, contact the Foundation Chair at Foundation@mctm.org