Grow Your Own Teacher Pathway

At the May meeting of the West Virginia Board of Education, the state Department of Education announced that Grow Your Own is now a federally recognized apprenticeship, thanks to a partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor.

West Virginia Superintendent of Schools Clayton Burch is leading a tour over the next several weeks to inspire more students to become teachers. The state is currently about 1,000 teachers short, according to state officials.

“Grow Your Own” is designed to provide innovative, low-cost pathways for high school students to enter the teaching profession. Students looking to become teachers can begin their teaching journey early by earning credits and eventually classroom teaching experience before they graduate high school.