New program rewards teachers with cash incentives

Teachers can get a stipend up to $2,400 a year

GILES COUNTY, Va. – Some local teachers will get rewarded with cash, thanks to a new program. 

The program is known as GIFTS, which stands for Giles Incentives for Teachers. It gives bonuses to early educators for attaining professional credentials. 

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On Thursday, three teachers at Kids & Co. and six teachers at Imagination Station in Pearisburg will receive their stipends, which recur every six months. The twice-yearly awards range from $500 for teachers achieving a CDA, $900 for teachers with an AA, to $1,200 for teachers with a BA. 

Funding for the program came from an anonymous donor associated with the Giles Early Education Project. 

This pilot project is a model that could be used statewide, as several states have similar incentive or tax credit systems. 

Pulaski is currently fundraising for a similar program called PERC, which is short for Pulaski Early Educator Rewards for Credentials. Early educators there typically make $8 to $10.50 per hour without benefits. To help supplement those salaries, PERC will also provide twice-yearly financial rewards once it is funded.