Baldwin County School District fostering next generation of teachers with ‘Grow Your Own’ teacher program
With school districts across the nation facing teacher shortages, the Baldwin County School District is helping current students prepare for careers in education through the “Grow Your Own” Teacher Program.
MILLEDGEVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – With school districts across the nation facing teacher shortages, the Baldwin County School District is helping current students prepare for careers in education through the “Grow Your Own” Teacher Program.
Taquila Thomas, a Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) teacher at Baldwin High School, says teaching now is more challenging due to the teacher shortage.
That’s why she’s preparing her students for the teaching field with the Teaching as a Profession Pathway and Early Childhood Education classes.
“We’re just as important as any other profession in the world,” she said. “Matter of fact, I don’t know any profession that started without a teacher of some sort.”
Thomas says her classes also teach students career building and life skills so they can be prepared for the workforce once they graduate.
According to CTAE Director and CEO Natalie Stone, the Baldwin County School District has been short five teachers since the beginning of this school year.
“A lot of our teachers have had to do what we call extended day, where they teach all day long without a planning period and have picked up an extra class so that we’re still able to serve the students that we have,” Stone explained.
Stone says the “Grow Your Own” program can alleviate the teacher shortage by giving students experience in the teaching field through dual enrollment college classes and hands-on training.
She says the school district works with regional higher learning institutions, including Georgia College and State University, Fort Valley State University, Middle Georgia State University, Georgia Military College, Central Georgia Technical College and Mercer University, to provide students with the resources they need to get a teaching job.
Through the “Grow Your Own” program, high school students can earn college credits to go toward an education degree. Once students have graduated from college, they will have a guaranteed interview opportunity with the Baldwin County School District.
“It’s just all about exposure,” Stone said. “It’s also about opportunities for them to get out and see what teacher fairs look like and what recruitment fairs look like so they can go ahead and start making those plans early.”
Tameriana Reese, a junior at Baldwin High School who’s enrolled in the “Grow Your Own” program, says she wants to be a teacher to make a positive impact on children’s lives.
“To implant in their brain that they can do stuff and they’re eligible even if they think they can’t and be the reason that they can, not the reason that they cannot succeed,” Reese said.
The Baldwin County School District was recently awarded $9,000 through the Georgia Department of Education‘s Cultivating Teachers Grant to expand its services within the “Grow Your Own” Teacher program.
Students who are interested in the program can talk to their teachers or guidance counselor about enrolling.
