Congressman Richard Neal Delivers $250,000 Earmark to Mount Holyoke College

SOUTH HADLEY — U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means, joined Mount Holyoke College interim President Beverly Daniel Tatum for the announcement of a $250,000 earmark for the college’s Professional and Graduate Education department.

The allocation was made possible through congressional directed spending from the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. Neal included funding for this project in the FY 2022 spending bill that was signed into law earlier this year.

“As a former trustee at Mount Holyoke College, I have seen first-hand the innovative and collaborative work that happens on campus,” Neal said. “Not only will this program assist teachers and school support staff here in Western and Central Massachusetts, but it will also be available to those nationwide. Mount Holyoke is once again leading the way.”

The funding will support the Teaching for Our Moment program, which is aimed at addressing the growing crisis of teacher burnout in U.S. public schools. The program kicks off on Saturday, Oct. 29 with a free, day-long conference followed by a six-month professional learning and mentorship program. The programming aims to support teacher wellness and student social-emotional learning while addressing challenges in education that are leading too many teachers to leave the profession.

“The unending pressure on teachers needs to be addressed if we want to retain passionate, talented professionals in the field of education,” Tatum said. “The Teaching for Our Moment program is designed to ensure the highest levels of success for students and higher levels of job satisfaction for teachers. We appreciate Congressman Neal’s support of education in Massachusetts.”