Photo courtesy of Bramblett Group: Photo caption: (l to r) FHU Dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences Dr. Sharen Cypress, Oakland Elementary School Principal Kelly Todd, Tennessee Commissioner of Education Dr. Penny Schwinn and Fayette County Director of Schools Dr. Versie Hamlett visit Oakland Elementary School in Fayette County to meet with students in the GYO program.
Henderson—The Tennessee Department of Education last year awarded Freed-Hardeman University and the Fayette County School District a $100,000 Grow Your Own grant to increase the number of teachers with licensure in English as a Second Language. In late April Tennessee Commissioner of Education Dr. Penny Schwinn visited Oakland Elementary School in Fayette County to meet with students in the GYO program.
The GYO award supports an innovative partnership between the university and the school system to address the state’s teacher shortage while also increasing teacher diversity. This opportunity targeted paraprofessionals in Fayette County who had already earned bachelor’s degrees.
Currently, four students are enrolled in the Grow Your Own program at FHU. “They are exceptional students. They are committed to their studies and to education in general,” Dr. Rachel Askew, GYO grant coordinator, said. “Their love for their schools and county is evident in all they do.” These individuals are taking advantage of a streamlined, free pathway to K-5 initial They are on track to complete the 15-month program this year.
“As a product of both Fayette County Public Schools and Freed-Hardeman University, it is an honor to be involved in such collaboration as this. This GYO grant allows FHU to be more innovative and creative as we redesign our curriculum to effectively prepare quality teachers and minimize the teacher shortage in Fayette County,” Dr. Sharen Cypress, dean of the FHU College of Education, said.
“The GYO program affords Freed-Hardeman University and Fayette County Public Schools the opportunity to increase the number of students in the teacher pipeline, thereby addressing teacher shortages within the district,” Dr. Amy Downey, chair of the FHU Department of Education, said. Currently, Tennessee faces a shortage of approximately 2,000 teachers annually.
All programs in FHU’s College of Education are accredited regionally by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and nationally by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, formerly known as NCATE.