Summersville is one of 125 school districts in the state that is getting financial help from the state this fall to recruit new teachers.
This is the second year the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has awarded Grow Your Own grants. This year, 125 districts will each receive $10,000.
“Investing in Missouri students and their achievement means investing in our educator workforce — both the teachers serving classrooms today and those that will join the profession in the coming years,” said Commissioner of Education Karla Eslinger, in a news release.
“Grow Your Own programs are an important part of continuing to address the statewide teacher shortage, so we are thrilled to be able to provide a second round of funding to support this work at the local level.”
According to DESE, the average attrition rate for teachers in Missouri is 12%, which is higher than the national average of 8%, and the majority of vacancies are filled with new teachers.
However, enrollment in teacher education programs has declined by 25% during the past decade, which makes it harder to fill specific types of openings and schools that are rural or in neighborhoods where a high percentage of families struggle to make ends meet.
The Grow Your Own program looks slightly different in each district but the goal is to attract local students and school staff — including paraprofessionals and substitutes — into the teaching profession. The programs often also help future teachers navigate college and the path to certification.
Funding can be used in different ways including dual credit courses, scholarships for high school students, internships and programs that help non-teaching adults become certified teachers. The grant funding must be spent by May 31.
Funding was also provided to 15 educator preparation programs and five community colleges. In this part of the state, Missouri State University received $70,000.
