B

Hamblen County Schools is offering to help students in the area to receive their teaching degree to keep teachers at home.

Through the state’s “Grow Your Own” and the county’s “Tomorrow’s Teachers,” students are able to have their degree fully paid for while the county retains teachers.

Students can attend Walters State Community College and earn their associate degree and then enroll at Western Governor’s University to receive their bachelors.

The state pays for the first two years and Hamblen County pays for the last two years, and the county guarantees a job to the prospective teachers once they graduate to help fill empty teaching positions throughout the district.

As the prospective teachers take classes for their teaching degree they can work as a part-time teacher in Hamblen County gaining experience in the field.

Dr. Matthew Drinnon, Human Resources supervisor, is an advocate of the program and has worked to grow it even more.

“I am very excited about the growth trajectory of our Grow Your Own “Tomorrow’s Teachers” program.” Drinnon said. “I have helped to lead an expansion from our original partnership with Walters State and Western Governors University to include an Apprenticeship Program with UT Knoxville and an online “job-embedded” teacher training program with iTeach.”

“This is in addition to our partnerships with local colleges and universities such as Carson Newman, Tusculum, and Lincoln Memorial.”

Drinnon continues his efforts by finding other ways to help prospective teacher earn their degree and find their home at Hamblen County Schools.

“We continue to work with other programs and Tennessee’s Grow Your Own Center based at UT Knoxville in developing pathways to increase the number of applicants in our teacher pipeline.”

“I hope to be able to use these programs to help reduce the barriers for individuals who have thought about a career in teaching, but may need a less traditional path to earning that teaching certificate.

Hamblen County has seen great success with the program, by having their first graduate, Isaiah Crawford, who graduated this past fall and is currently working at Fairview Marguerite Elementary School.

Crawford graduated from Walters State Community College and through the program was able to attend Western Governor’s University online to receive his bachelor’s degree.

“How I got in the program happened suddenly and unexpectedly.” Crawford said. “I graduated from Walters State Community College with Associates Degree, and was going to go to ETSU. The day after I had registered and went to orientation I got a call from Hamblen County about the ‘Grow Your Own’ Program.”

“They said ‘were going to send you to college online and you’re going to come to work as a teacher’s assistant in one of our schools.’ I couldn’t pass that opportunity away and so I said yes.”

Although the program usually takes around two years to complete, Crawford was able to get his degree in a year and half.

“I worked really hard and finished in a year and half and graduated this past December,” he said. “You take the same class that you would at a four year university, but it’s just online. I had to compete the same amount of demonstration teaching and working in the school system.”

Crawford would spend half of the day working as a TA at the elementary school and the rest would be spent completing his required student teaching hours.

“I would go into different grade and work with small groups, so I was able to assist in the teaching process and gained a lot of practice,” Crawford said. “I would not have learned how to be an effective teacher anywhere else. Being stuck in a college classroom doesn’t help prepare you for what it takes to run your own classroom.”

Crawford enjoyed the program very much and is thankful to Fairview that they welcomed him in.

“It has been great,” he said. “It’s been an awesome experience and it is truly an amazing program.”

“It’s been amazing working at Fairview because they have welcomed me with open arms. I was worried that I wouldn’t be welcomed, especially with the teachers who have worked there for years but they immediately treated me like I was a part of their family.”

He encourages anyone who is offered the opportunity to participate in the program to take the offer.

“If you get the opportunity or if you get the call to join the program take it,” Crawford said. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. To get the chance to have your school paid for and securing a job after you graduate does not come easily so do not take it lightly.”

Hamblen County’s next graduate completed her student teaching at West View Middle School on February 14 and began working at East High on February 15.