CMC South Grant and Scholarship Program
Category A: Early Career Teacher Leader Grant
Purpose: A two-year cohort that provides coordinated professional opportunities and financial support to early career emerging teacher leaders. Each year of the cohort ends at the close of that year’s annual conference.
Year 1:
- Attend the three (3) CMC South board and conference committee meetings during the year (Saturdays from 9am-3pm in January, May, and September).
- Get matched with a CMC South mentor. Together they will identify at least one way the awardee can contribute to the work of the CMC South board and/or conference committee that aligns with the awardee’s professional interests and strengths.
- Collaborate with other Early Career Teacher Leader Grant recipients and with CMC South leaders.
- Attend the CMC South annual conference in Palm Springs.
Year 2:
- Attend the three (3) CMC South board and conference committee meetings during the year (Saturdays from 9am-3pm in January, May, and September).
- Continue with existing and/or pursue new contributions to the CMC South board and/or conference committee that are aligned with the awardee’s professional interests and strengths.
- Collaborate with other Early Career Teacher Leader Grant recipients and with CMC South leaders.
- Work with their CMC South mentor or another leader to either:
- Author or co-author a journal article for publication in the California Math Council’s journal The ComMuniCator.
- Prepare and present/co-present a session at the CMC South annual conference in Palm Springs.
Grant Amount
Up to $1500 per year for two years:
- Mileage, lodging, and substitute teacher reimbursement.
- Complimentary conference registration and CMC membership per year for two years.
- $500 stipend per year for two years.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Applicants must:
- Be a PK-12 classroom teacher with less than 10 years of teaching experience OR current teacher candidate at an accredited university at the time of applying.
- Lead math instruction directly with students on a daily or near-daily basis.
- Be a current CMC member, or must become a CMC member upon award offer.
- Include a letter of support from a school or district administrator or supervisor.
Application Form
Applicants should use the template application form to complete the following responses. Completed applications must be received by end-of-day September 1st to be considered.
Proposal
- Explain why you are applying. What areas would you like to learn more about or pursue, and how will your leadership be impacted?
- Share how you will use your experience in the 2 year cohort to elevate yourself and others in your school, district, and professional community.
- Detail where you see yourself professionally 5 years from now, including how participation in this grant will change your vision.
Background and Experience: Provide a summary of your background and relevant experience that includes:
- Formal education: Institution, type of degree, major, minor, and date each degree was granted.
- Professional experience: Indicate the school(s), teaching assignments, and other pertinent information. Include continuing education, professional activities, and any evidence of early leadership initiatives.
Administrator Letter of Support
Include a one-page maximum letter that:
- Is on official school letterhead and signed by the administrator.
- Confirms that the current and expected next year teaching status of the applicant meets the eligibility requirements for this grant.
- Demonstrates strong support for the emerging teacher leader within the school or district.
- Indicates the school’s or district’s approval of one Friday per year of leave, with substitute teacher expenses reimbursed by CMC South, for the applicant to attend the CMC-South annual conference.
Reimbursement and Payment Procedures
- Lodging for Friday night at the CMC South annual conference will be booked and paid directly by CMC South.
- Mileage for CMC-South meetings and the CMC-South annual conference will be reimbursed by CMC South directly to the awardee.
- Substitute teacher expenses will be reimbursed directly to the awardee’s school/district by CMC South.
- Authorized expenses paid directly by the awardee will be reimbursed upon completion of each meeting/conference. Meals at the CMC South annual conference are not included in this grant.
- The annual stipend will be paid at the end of each year upon the successful completion of grant requirements for that year.
Early Career Teacher Leaders Grants Scoring Rubric: Max points 21
A. Proposal Description: 13 points
1. Provides strong rationale for the applicant’s leadership growth opportunities and potential impact. 5 points
2. Describes how the applicant may elevate themselves and others in their school, district, and professional community through this grant. 3 points
3. Provides an ambitious and viable vision for where the applicant will be professionally in 5 years. Includes how their future will differ as a direct result of participation in this grant. 5 points
B. Background and Experience 5 points
Education, teaching experience, and professional activities show high potential for success.
C. Letter of Support 3 points
Principal’s letter confirms the applicant’s teaching status, demonstrates strong support for the applicant’s leadership potential, and confirms approval for release t
Up to $ (1099 needed for amounts over $600):
- Download and complete the application for Category A.
Category B: Equity-Access-Empowerment Grants
Up to $600 to support TOSAs/Coaches/Math-STEM Specialists in creating activities that support access to powerful mathematics for students or teachers
- Must be working in a K–12 school or district office.
- Write a proposal for how the grant money will be used to improve the mathematics instruction of classroom teachers.
- Include a letter of support from a school or district administrator.
- Must be a CMC-South member
- Download and complete the application for Category B.
Category C: Professional In-service Grants
Up to $1000 to support professional growth in the teaching of mathematics (1099 needed for amounts over $600)
Grants could be used for:
- Purchase of educational or technology-based materials for mathematics
- Attendance at institute to build teacher leadership capacity
- Assistance in conducting research around a problem of practice in mathematics
- Use towards facilitating a mathematics lesson study
- Must be a credentialed teacher or mathematics supervisor
- Write a proposal for how the grant money will be used to empower student achievement.
- Include a letter of support from a school or district administrator.
- Must be a CMC-South member
- Download and complete the application for Category C.
Category D: Classroom Grants
Up to $600 for credentialed teachers to support creative and engaging classroom projects/activities that address student mathematical empowerment.
- Must be working in a K–12 school or district office.
- Write a proposal for how the grant money will be used to empower student achievement.
- Include a letter of support from a school administrator.
- Must be a CMC-South member
- Download and complete the application for Category D.
Eligibility Requirements for Grant and Scholarship Applicants
Applicants must reside, teach, or attend school in one of the 8 southern California counties. Teachers and or Administrators must be member of CMC. Consult Section Membership for details. Deadline to submit is April 30 of each year. For Category A the deadline is Sept 1.
NOTE: Successful applicants will be notified by May 30 following the submission deadline for Categories B - D and Sept 30 for Category A. Once you receive the award you will need to send us a follow up on your use of the grant/scholarship as well as pictures to illustrate that use.
Questions? email cmcsouth.scholarships@gmail.com
Submit your completed application packet by email to cmcsouth.scholarships@gmail.com April 30 and Sept 1 (for Category A only)