William Carey University signed “Grow Your Own” partnership agreements with eight public school superintendents Dec. 2 to help fight Mississippi’s critical teacher shortage.
“Grow Your Own” allows K-12 public school districts to select students for a fast-track WCU program that will enable them to earn a bachelor’s degree in elementary education in three years through a combination of dual enrollment classes, an accelerated schedule and tuition waivers.
“Most school districts, with only a few exceptions, have vacancies for teachers they were unable to fill. We’re trying to give school districts and students the resources and support they need to bridge the gap,” said WCU President Dr. Tommy King.
Dr. Toy Watts is superintendent of the Laurel Public School District.
“We are very excited about this partnership. It has been a struggle to make sure we have certified teachers in every classroom. Helping to create a large pool of teachers to choose from is going to be great,” Watts said.
“I also like it because we get a chance to grow students from our own community. We want to work with students who are really committed to doing what’s right for the children where they live, who want to become teachers in their own communities. We want to support them in that effort.”
How the program worksWCU advisors help “Grow Your Own” students register for dual enrollment classes during high school. As a result, at the point they collect high school diplomas, they’ve also earned 12 dual enrollment credits.
Next, students begin a demanding first-year schedule with William Carey that satisfies all the university’s core requirements. During this time, K-12 partner districts make arrangements for the students they’re sponsoring to work as K-3 teacher assistants in district schools during their second and third years of college.
In the second and third years, students take classes and work as teacher assistants. This has several benefits: 1) they enter the state retirement system early; 2) they earn an income while working on their degrees; and 3) they qualify for 50 percent tuition waivers from WCU.
At the end of their third year, students graduate with a bachelor’s degree. Participating school districts agree to give hiring preference for teaching positions, when possible, to WCU graduates of the “Grow Your Own” program.
School district partnershipThe K-12 school superintendents who joined the partnership on Dec. 2 are Charles Breland, Greene County; Dr. Scott Dearman, Perry County; Babette Duty, Covington County; Brian Freeman, Forrest County; Dr. Titus Hines, Lawrence County; Dr. Donna Scott, South Pike; Dr. Toy Watts, Laurel; and Dr. Robert Williams, Hattiesburg.
Dr. Donna Scott, superintendent of South Pike School District, attended the signing ceremony with Caprice Smalley, principal of South Pike High School.
“We are in Magnolia, Mississippi, which is a very small community. We have challenges in attracting teachers because the districts surrounding us are larger and often pay better. We had already been thinking about how to grow our own teachers, so when Dr. Ben Burnett presented this idea, we thought it was wonderful way to help our students,” Scott said.
Dr. Ben Burnett, WCU’s executive vice president, said the university will continue its “Grow Your Own” outreach to K-12 school superintendents all over the state.
For more information, contact the WCU School of Education at (601) 318-6600 or
education@wmcarey.edu.
In the photo:“Grow Your Own” partners include, front row from left: Charles Breland, Greene County school superintendent; Babette Duty, Covington County school superintendent; Dr. Donna Scott, South Pike school superintendent; Dr. Toy Watts, Laurel school superintendent; Jessica Rutland, Lawrence County teacher; and Summer Allen, Lawrence County student. In the second row are Caprice Smalley, principal of South Pike High School; Dr. Robert Williams, Hattiesburg school superintendent; and Dr. Titus Hines, Lawrence County school superintendent. In the top row, from William Carey University, are Dr. Teresa Poole and Dr. Ben Burnett.
