CONCORD, N.H. (June 2021) – New Hampshire needs more teachers for students who are blind and visually impaired. Future In Sight, a nonprofit dedicated to improving lives for those with visual impairments, is pleased to announce that it is offering higher, more competitive salaries and benefits to recruit more teachers from across the country. The Concord-based agency is hosting a free virtual webinar on June 24 at 3 p.m. to offer more information.
“It’s a crucial time to meet the needs of students who are blind and visually impaired, nationally and locally,” said David Morgan, President and Executive Director of Future In Sight. “There are just not enough teachers. And, yet, it’s an exciting time to be in the field as technology advances and improves life for those who are blind and visually impaired. We felt like we needed to step it up and offer much bolder professional incentives to encourage teachers, recent graduates, and others interested in education and working with children to consider this important field and to relocate to New Hampshire.”
Here are Future In Sight’s new incentives:
- Starting salaries for master’s certified teachers are increasing to $50,000 for 44 weeks a year.
- Salaries for teachers with seven or more years’ experience are increasing to $67,500.
- Medical insurance is covered 100 percent.
- Relocation costs and housing stipends for the first year of teaching are offered.
- A unique fellowship and training program covers all graduate school tuition and expenses at the University of Massachusetts Boston Visual Studies Program in exchange for teaching with Future In Sight.
- Our teachers can contribute to pioneering research at UMass Boston so they can be practitioners in the field while having a broader impact on the industry.
Future In Sight is a progressive nonprofit that has been providing specialized services and support for more than 100 years to individuals of all ages and stages of vision loss at home, school, and across New Hampshire. The organization’s credentialed vision professionals address the holistic needs of each person with 1:1 rehabilitation, training, and group social/recreational activities, peer support and technology user groups.
As part of the recruiting effort, the organization is reaching out to colleges and universities across the United States and promoting the state as a highly desirable place to live. Sales and income tax free and rich with natural resources, Morgan said he sees this as a wonderful opportunity to solve the TVI teacher shortage in the state while improving the quality of life.
One of the other major advantages is FIS’s partnership with UMass Boston Visual Studies Program to offer graduate tuition, fellowship opportunities, stipends, and other financial incentives. “We are just trying to think out of the box so we can meet the needs of these children and bring in more teachers,” said Morgan.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Diana Brown McCloy, 978-697-9414; [email protected]
Hannah Miller, 413-717-7759, [email protected]