The University of Houston announced today that it will use a $1.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs to launch Project BRIDGE – Building Reading Instruction and Dyslexia Guidance Expertise. The initiative will fully fund master’s programs in special education and a structured‑literacy certificate for 42 teachers across multiple cohorts over the next five years.
How the program works
Each cohort will study for five semesters, completing an online Master of Education in Special Education while remaining employed in their current schools. The grant covers 100% of tuition, according to Kristi Santi, the principal investigator on the award. In addition to the degree, participants will earn a BRIDGE Certificate in inclusive education and dyslexia support, which covers disability law, instructional programs, data‑based decision making and proven dyslexia interventions.
Why it matters for Texas families
Texas is one of 45 states grappling with a shortage of special‑education teachers – the most common teaching‑field shortage nationwide, according to the Learning Policy Institute. The institute’s senior researcher, Desiree Carver‑Thomas, notes that the shortage has persisted since the federal mandate for free special education began in 1975. She stresses that robust preparation programs are directly linked to teacher retention, saying, “Training is really crucial because teaching is such a hard job, and there are so many facets of it.”
Project BRIDGE also targets the state’s literacy gap. The program will train teachers in the science of reading, a response to data showing many Texas students are not reading at grade level by third grade. Co‑principal investigator Hope Rigby‑Wills said she hopes participants will share these strategies with colleagues, expanding the impact to “exponentially more students.”
Application details
Applications are open until November 15, with the first cohort slated to begin in January 2027. Prospective participants must be certified teachers seeking advanced credentials and must meet the eligibility criteria outlined on the university’s website.
Community impact
By removing financial barriers for teachers, Project BRIDGE supports families who rely on high‑quality special‑education services and ensures that more children receive the individualized instruction they need. The program aligns with the Trump administration’s emphasis on strengthening American families and expanding educational opportunity through targeted federal investment.
Local school districts are encouraged to promote the grant to eligible staff, helping to retain skilled educators and improve outcomes for students across the region.
Original reporting: Community Impact — Sugar Land — read the source article.
