Nov 29, 2022

Cultivating Teacher Talent Through Grow Your Own Programs

Carol Keirstead
R7CC supporting Mississippi Equitable Access to Effective Educators ; National Comprehensive Center Capacity Building Team
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Grow Your Own (GYO) refers to programs that recruit, prepare, and support people from within communities to become certified teachers. These programs harness partnerships from school districts and community organizations to offer supports like mentorship, financial assistance, and flexible schedules that can engage a wider pool of candidates from under-represented groups, thereby diversifying the educator workforce. In fact, these opportunities developing nationwide are changing lives and improving education for the next generation.

That is why the Strengthening and Diversifying the Educator Workforce Work Group is excited to present, Cultivating Teacher Talent Through Grow Your Own Programs, a multimedia package that can help state and local education agencies design, implement, and evaluate their own GYO programs.

The multimedia package is a culmination of three webinar sessions conveniently broken down into key insights, real-world examples, and expert-given advice.

Organized by the phases, design, implement, and evaluate, the journey is led by Jason Greenberg Motamedi, who analyzes the impact of GYO programs across the country. The series of videos shares unique experiences in each phase from:

  • Texas
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Oregon
  • Florida
  • Tennessee

The easy-to-navigate package is filled with tips, resources, and a Q & A session. It’s for anyone interested in developing GYO programs or learning about the creative ways these programs are addressing challenges in recruitment, preparation, and retention in an integrated manner.