MN Grow Your Own Teachers Program
University of Minnesota — Goal 2 Initiative MN Grow Your Own Teachers Program
University of Minnesota's program aims to increase graduating teachers of color by allowing working professionals in schools to become certified while continuing their employment. This will benefit schools and K-12 students by increasing teachers of color and help address the severe shortage of teachers of color in Minnesota. Participants will receive a graduate degree, and potential for higher income and job security.
This program provides flexibility and access to education to participants, while ensuring they can continue to earn a wage and gain meaningful workplace experience.
Through our MN Grow Your Own Teachers Program we are transforming the way we recruit, retain and graduate representative teachers. With a strong record of increasing participation, retention and impact, we are focused on expanding our reach over the next year by developing new partnerships across urban and rural communities and among our tribal partners.
Initiative Differentiators
This initiative offers a “grow your own” recruitment strategy tapping into education assistants, paraprofessionals, reading tutors, substitute/reserve teachers who hold only a sub teaching license, teachers with district waiver who do not have another U.S. teaching license; career changers and community members.
Key Interventions and Milestones
An affiliated program, the Ojibwe ECE program is also under development. The university is delivering the required courses online, potentially at Tribal Colleges, beginning with a cohort of 20 students in fall 2022. Students will begin with Ojibwe ECE language courses the summer before.
Expected Impact
The program aims for a 95% retention and program completion. At current capacity, the program can scale to 25 new participants per year and 25 completers per year.
