Created by partnerships of educator preparation programs, school districts, and community-based organizations, grow-your-own programs recruit, prepare, and place community members as teachers. They typically recruit and prepare high school students, school classified staff (e.g., paraeducators, afterschool workers, bus drivers), career changers, and leaders and activists from local schools and geographic communities.
To address the shortage, preparation, and retention challenges facing the profession, it is critical to ensure equity across the teacher development continuum. Adopting state-level equity criteria for grow-your-own programs is one policy lever toward this end. The criteria should address four equity areas: structural, disciplinary, cultural, and interpersonal. These areas provide lenses for exploring how state education policymakers can understand, confront, and overcome barriers community TOCIT may experience when attempting to enter the educator workforce.
Ensuring Equity in Grow-Your-Own Programs
Also In this Issue
Five Trends Shaping the Teaching Force
By Richard M. Ingersoll, Elizabeth Merrill, Daniel Stuckey, Gregory Collins and Brandon HarrisonState policymakers looking to increase recruitment and retention should keep an eye on these long-term trends.
The Uneven Landscape of Teacher Preparation
By Leslie T. FenwickState statutes impede students' equitable access to profession-ready teachers.
A Data-Driven Approach to Staffing Schools
By Hannah Putman and Heather PeskeLowering teacher standards may fail to solve actual pipeline problems and can create new ones.
Licensure Tests as Barriers to the Profession
By Victoria Van CleefStates should explore better means of assessing teachers' classroom readiness.
Teacher Preparation for Whole-Child Design
By Jennifer DePaoli and Ryan SaundersState leaders have a role in ensuring that educator preparation both models and reflects the science of learning and development.
Teacher Recruitment and Retention in Missouri
By Paul KatnikState leaders commit to efforts to attract and keep teachers in the classroom.
Ensuring Equity in Grow-Your-Own Programs
By Conra D. GistState-level criteria for programs' design can yield better outcomes in preparing and retaining diverse teachers.
Creating State Education Systems That Value Student Cultures
By William Rodick and Tanji Reed MarshallState boards can set the stage for learning environments that connect and engage all students.
Preparing Pre-K Teachers: Policy Considerations and Strategies
By Amaya Garcia and Cara SklarFour practices to increase the pool of skilled early educators stand out as promising.
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