Georgia's Grow-Your-Own Teacher Programs Attract the Right Stuff

Abstract

There is a shortage of educators and there are various factors that account for the lack of teachers. Millions of new teachers will be needed in the near future and the present study juxtaposes the vocational personality profiles of adolescents (N 5 262) participating in Future Educators of America programs in Georgia to in-service teachers' profiles as determined by Holland's Self-Directed Search inventory. Using Holland's theoretical framework for congruence between one's personality and the workplace as a lens, the results indicated that adolescents in the future educator programs shared the same Holland code as in-service teachers. Noting that teachers tend to return to the area in which they were raised, findings from this research have serious implications for the identification and recruitment of tomorrow's teaching force.

¡Profesores Adelante! Recruiting teachers in the target language

“…We were unable to find many studies on specific recruitment programs for new teacher candidates in general, and even less on those geared to recruit WL teachers. However, some investigation of state‐level Grow Your Own teacher programs exists, such as Gist, Bianco, and Lynn's (2018) analysis of these programs for increasing teacher diversity and Swanson's (2011) evaluation of a Georgia Grow Your Own program that found success in identifying potential teacher candidates by comparing their vocational profiles with those of in‐service teachers. Swanson and Mason (2018) provided recommendations for WL teacher recruitment specifically and also listed several other teacher recruitment programs and state‐level initiatives, but noted that little has been reported about their success.…”

“…In this short examination of the literature (summarized in Table 1), we note the focus on existing teachers or teacher candidates and on using data from these individuals to identify potential future candidates—and the comparatively little research that has been done to determine how best to recruit new WL teacher candidates, especially from among populations who may not be already considering the profession. While Swanson's (2011, 2012a) sustained work in teacher recruitment is an important component of this literature from a WL perspective, and the existing work on identifying candidates and removing barriers to entry into the profession provides valuable insights, it is clear that more efforts are needed to reverse the ongoing decline in WL teacher candidates and teacher candidates in general. We point to the lack of research on the effectiveness of WL teacher recruitment programs and initiatives as an area for growth that this study begins to address.…”

“…First, this study explores the beliefs and perceptions of a wider body of WL students, as opposed to the existing teachers and teacher candidates discussed in previous studies on recruitment (Guarino, Santibañez, & Daley, 2006; Kissau, Davin, & Wang, 2019; Wronowski, 2018). The recruitment materials comprised several modules to be completed over a semester, aligning with a long‐term approach to teacher recruitment recommended by the literature (Artzt & Curcio, 2008; Bert & Richards, 2018; Hubbard, Embry‐Jenlink, & Beverly, 2015; Swanson, 2011, 2012b). Finally, by utilizing a recruitment curriculum in the target language, the study explores the value of embedding teacher recruitment activities within the context of a WL class.…”

The Critical Educators of Color Pipeline: Leveraging Youth Research to Nurture Future Critical Educators of Color

“…Through financial support from a federal law called the Carl D. Perkins Technical Education Act, the South Carolina Teacher Cadet Program launched in the 1980s with the intent of promoting teaching for high school students using grant money allotted through this law (CERRA, n.d.). The Teacher Cadet program and learning academies in schools have focused on the recruitment and retention of students in the teacher pipeline by offering courses in the history of education and monetary support in the form of college-level grants (CERRA, n.d.;Swanson 2011). The information available on The Teacher Cadet program indicates intentionality in diversifying the teacher workforce; however, there are no existing studies detailing exactly how this is done (CERRA, n.d.).…”

“I Get to Give Back to the Community That Put Me Where I Am”: Examining the Experiences and Perspectives of Puerto Rican Teachers in Western New York

“…Thus, scholars note the importance of recruiting, preparing, and developing Latina/o teachers with the willingness to serve as role models in the very same urban school communities in which they lived and went to school as youth (Darling-Hammond, 2010; Irizarry, 2007; Mercado, 2011; Mitchie, 2011; Ochoa, 2007; Oliva & Staudt, 2003). To increase teacher diversity in school districts, a number of states have strategically invested in policies and practices aimed at recruiting, supporting, and preparing underrepresented youth for careers in teaching, particularly in urban school communities (Irizarry, 2007; Oliva & Staudt, 2003; Schmitz, Nourse, & Ross, 2012; Skinner, 2010; Skinner, Garretón, & Schultz, 2011; Swanson, 2011; Talbott, 2007). Such programs, commonly known as “Grow Your Own” (GYO), typically involve multiple partnerships with aligned goals, budgets, and organizational structures aimed at achieving a shared vision of long-term systemic change.…”