AFL aids Greenville County Schools workforce with grant.

AFL, a Spartanburg-based manufacturer of fiber optic cable, connectivity and accessories, provided a $7,500 grant to Public Education Partners for its Elevate Teachers programming.

The funding will support the advocacy group's multiple initiatives including the Greenville Alternative Teacher Education, or GATE, program; professional development workshops; Elevate Teachers and #TeachGCS Campaigns; as well as teacher grants.

Launched in 2016 as a partnership with Greenville County Schools, the GATE program helps recruit candidates with specific subject matter expertise to teach in hard-to-fill middle and secondary positions throughout the district, according to a news release. With this program embedded in Greenville County Schools, PEP's support includes thought partnership, professional development, classroom start-up grants and celebrations of program milestones.

PEP will expand its commitment to complimentary professional development workshop opportunities for educators, especially among early career teachers and in schools with high levels of poverty or Title 1 schools.

The advocacy group uses #TeachGCS and Elevate Teachers! campaigns to celebrate and support teachers and the teaching profession with awareness-building campaigns and school-based celebrations that focus on schools serving low-income communities, schools with high teacher turnover, OnTrack Greenville schools, and...