What is the name of your state? CaliforniaIn the winter of 1993, at the age of 38 my sons, then ages 8, 7 and 5, and I had been homeless on the street, in hiding, from an abusive husband. I crawled to the door of the University . In 1998, two years before I got my BA, a national campaign was launched to encourage people in math and science to teach, especially in low-income areas. By 2000, corresponding with the implementation of Senate Bill 2042 (SB2042) requiring a teacher preparation progam in California to be NCLB compliant, the red herring was "forgiveness of undergraduate loans" and tuition scholarships for the first cohort of NCLB Highly Qualified Teachers in California credential programs. I was in a quandry for two reasons. I graduated with a BA in the summer of 2000, just as by boys were ready for high school, that most dangerous of places we send our children. I never had parent involvement with my high school experience and found an easy correlation with my mom going off to do her PhD with my dropping out. If I got a teaching credential I would be with my boys schedule to see them through high school. However, there was a very strong pull. January 2000, in my senior year, I recieved an award from the AAAS in Life Science (ostensibly the highest award attainable by an undergraduate in the country), my scientific poster was displayed in the lobby of NASA Headquarters, and I was invited to do a PhD at the brand new NASA Astrobiology Institute with a Sloan Fellowship. Having been a victim of domestic violence and forced to take student loans in lieu of child support, I did the unthinkable, I deferred NASA for a teaching credential in math and science as part of the first cohort of NCLB Highly Qualified Teachers (there are over 20,000 of us in California).
The first two cohorts of Highly Qualified Teachers under NCLB started teaching on the first day of the 2002-2003 academic year. I have yet to find one such teacher, including myself, who has been able to take advantage of the loan forgiveness promised us. Many are paying exorbitant monthly payments or are in default and being garnished. My loans are accumulating interest at almost $1,000 a month and I am being garnished at about $800. I have two boys in college and another graduating from high school this year so next year I will have 3 in college. A teachers salary in my 5th year of teaching is keeping me not much better off than when I was a victim of domestic violence on welfare. I can't take much more.
Is anyone willing to take on a class action? Outcome: amnesty for anyone beginning a credential program in 2000 since current forgiveness starts for loans after October 1998. Ther first cohort would have to have loans before 1998 since a bachelor degree was required to qualify for the program.
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