Grow-your-own (GYO) programs have the potential to solve multiple teacher workforce challenges by increasing local teacher supply, reducing teacher shortages, promoting teacher diversity and improving teacher retention and effectiveness, according to a recent analysis from the Brookings Institution.
However, researchers noted, these programs may not be enough to retain diverse and effective teacher workforce without improvements to the overall state of the teaching profession.
“Efforts that aim to increase the teacher supply without improving the state of the profession may not be enough to retain a diverse and effective workforce. Like other teachers, GYO participants may confront stagnant wages, a lack of autonomy, challenging working conditions, and the looming threat of teacher layoffs that cause them to leave the classroom or deter them from entering in the first place,” researchers wrote. “This can perpetuate the revolving door of teachers and the need to constantly recruit teacher candidates.”
Despite the benefits, researchers also noted that the impacts of grow-your-own programs take years to materialize. “High school GYO participants, the most common participant type, will need to complete high school and college before entering the profession,” they stated.
Still, there’s a lot to like about these programs, and good reasons to promote them, researchers said.
For the most part, GYO programs vary widely in terms of target populations and program features, with many focusing on recruiting high school students, and others focusing on adults such as paraprofessionals, college students and community members.
Some initiatives “include scholarships to earn bachelor’s degrees or certification, alternate or accelerated pathways to enrollment in a traditional or alternative certification program, community college transfer programs, extracurricular activities, high school coursework, dual enrollment programs and teacher residencies” — leading to significant variety among programs.
Only two common characteristics emerged across GYO programs researchers looked at: They seek to expand the teacher supply and they recruit applicants who live, work or attend a school within particular school communities.
Such a variety provides local educational agencies the flexibility to tailor programs to meet their local needs, according to researchers.
