More than $600K grant will build future workforce of educators
The McMinnville School District has received over $600,000 in grant funds from the statewide “Grow Your Own” program. The program supports a localized approach to recruit, prepare, place and retain future educators through partnerships between educator preparation programs.
Participating partners include Linfield University, Chemeketa Community College and the SHAPE Oregon’s Future: Become a Teacher initiative through the Willamette Education Service District’s GYO program.
Most of the funds will fund tuition, scholarships, benefits and substitute costs while GYO candidates are completing their educator preparation programs. MSD plans to use the grant to target current paraprofessionals and high school students (pictured) who are interested in becoming licensed educators.
“We’re thrilled to receive this grant,” said Superintendent Debbie Brockett. “Our nation is facing a critical shortage of teachers, and we plan to do everything we can to keep the excellent educators we have and build our own pipeline of future ones.”
The grant was awarded by Oregon’s Educator Advancement Council (EAC).