Latest news with #GrowYourOwn
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Symposium held in Morgantown for West Virginia teachers in training
MORGANTOWN, (WBOY) — The West Virginia Department of Education hosted the 'Grow Your Own and Milken Educators Symposium' at the Morgantown Marriott on Monday for students training to become teachers. The 'Grow Your Own Pathway to Teaching' program was started to help develop West Virginia's teaching workforce and give students in high school an accelerated path to becoming a teacher. Over the next two days, students will hear from Milken Award-winning teachers about the latest practices and issues in the education field. Session topics include 'Teaching with Integrity: Navigating Ethical Challenges,' 'What Does AI Mean for Me?' and 'Assessment 101,' among others. This week's symposium will be attended by 100 students from 20 schools throughout the state. In total, 476 West Virginia students are enrolled in the 'Grow Your Own' program. The program starts in high school, where the goal is to have students spend time in real classrooms in a training capacity so they can be at a college sophomore level academically when they graduate. Green Bank Telescope getting a fresh coat of paint, for science In college, students will continue to receive support as they delve further into the teaching profession. Participating school districts will then give hiring preference to graduates of the 'Grow Your Own' program. 'The goal today is to really recruit within the state and to get our young people to realize that teaching is very rewarding,' West Virginia Department of Education Director of Education Preparation Dr. Traci Tuttle said. 'West Virginia has a lot of support for them if they choose to stay in the state and teach in the state, and we want them here.' Pocahontas County High School senior Miranda Gum is one of the students enrolled in the program. She plans to teach preschool and has learned a lot in her observation hours. 'There are many students and there are many different ways that they behave,' Gum said. 'Some children learn this way and some other children learn a different way, so you have to focus on them and how they can learn the best.' You can learn more about the Grow Your Own program by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Second House committee rejects governor's education cuts toward Blueprint plan
House Ways and Means Vice Chair Jheanelle K. Wilkins (D-Montgomery), left, speaks about her vote in support of amended education bill during a March 3 committee markup session. Committee Chair Vanessa Atterbeary (D-Howard) listens. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters) A second House committee voted Monday to reject cuts proposed by Gov. Wes Moore (D) to the state's sweeping education reform plan, setting up a likely floor fight with Republicans this week and a showdown with the Senate in coming weeks. The vote by the House Ways and Means Committee mirrors action Friday by the House Appropriations Committee, restoring funds to increase 'collaborative time' for teachers and preserving funding for community schools located in low-income communities. Those are critical parts of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, the state's multiyear, multibillion-dollar schools reform proposal. The governor's Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act had proposed delaying those programs in the Blueprint to help the state cope with a projected $3 billion deficit in the fiscal 2026 budget. It took about five minutes for the committee, which voted along party lines, to vote to keep community schools, collaborative time and per pupil funding intact. The committee also voted to maintain the state's current Grow Your Own teacher initiative and not provide grants to institutions of higher education. Del. Kevin B. Hornberger (R-Cecil) was one of three Republican co-sponsors on the House measure, but he asked to have his name removed after voting against the amended version of the bill Monday. 'I supported this bill because I thought there were some cost permits in there that were necessary for the financial implementation of program,' he said. 'However, it's been heavily amended, and ask that my co-sponsorship be removed as one of the amendments.' Moore's bill to rein in Blueprint school reform plan draws fire at hearing Del. Eric Ebersole (D-Baltimore County), a former teacher, voted in favor of the amended bill, saying he appreciates 'the dedication that this legislature is showing to the Blueprint. It's a long-range plan and we're staying the course.' Ways and Means Chair Vanessa Atterbeary (D-Howard) said after Monday's voting session that the amendments from both committees are slated to be combined as one bill that could be read on the House floor as early as Tuesday, with debate possibly taking place Wednesday. Moore administration officials said during a Feb. 19 hearing on the bill that a 'pause' in implementation is needed because a current teacher shortage would make it all but impossible to hire the 15,000 additional teachers that would be needed to deliver the program. While speaking with reporters Friday after the Appropriations vote, Moore said he remains committed to the Blueprint plan, to addressing the state's teacher shortage and to public school education overall. But it has to be 'sustainable,' Moore said. 'We need to have the best public education system in the country. I support the tenets of the Blueprint,' he said. 'I'm looking forward to working with them [state lawmakers], but I know we've got to be able to invest in the Blueprint in a way that we're actually going to make it work, and in a way that it's going to be sustainable.' At least two top education leaders, state Superintendent Carey Wright and state Board of Education Chair Joshua Michael, have spoken in support of the governor's plan and several senators have been much more sympathetic to the administration's reined-in version. Those include Senate Majority Leader Nancy J. King (D-Montgomery), who said a pause on collaborative time is needed at a time when the state needs more teachers. The Senate committees that will be taking up the issue – Budget and Taxation and the Education, Energy and the Environment Committee – were part of last month's joint public hearing on the bill with the two House committees. Sen. Guy Guzzone (D-Howard), chair of the Budget and Taxation Committee, said Monday evening his committee could vote on the Senate version next week. Riya Gupta, interim executive director with Strong Schools Maryland, who attended the Ways and Means voting session Monday, said she hopes the Senate will follow the House's lead and restore funding and timelines for the Blueprint. 'It's something to be proud of that both House committees stood strong on their promise,' she said. 'The House has set a high standard for education in Maryland. We'll see if the Senate's going to do the same thing.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Reynoldsburg student presented with life-changing scholarship
REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (WCMH) — A life-changing opportunity for a student in Reynoldsburg was both a surprise for her and her family. On Wednesday, Jayde Grant was presented with a check for a scholarship worth up to $30,000 through the Grow Your Own program. The program seeks to recruit and prepare young people to become teachers in their communities. Grant, a senior at Reynoldsburg High School, said it was her father who inspired her to become an educator. 'I feel like that's something I always wanted to be, like with my dad working at a school and then going to his summer job and stuff, it's like always been inside of me,' she said. Grant plans to attend Kent State University and is looking forward to return to teach in Reynoldsburg in a few years. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
GRPS ‘encouraged' by education dollars in Whitmer's budget proposal
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's proposed state budget for the next fiscal year, rolled out Wednesday, includes a record investment in education. Recent test scores show young Michigan students are falling behind. According to the , considered the nation's report card, reading scores for Michigan fourth and eighth graders have declined. Eighth graders also posted lower scores in math. 'It's sobering to see some of the scores that have come out,' Whitmer told News 8 while she visited Grand Rapids Wednesday. 'It's not acceptable. That's why we're going to stay focused on it.' What's in Gov. Whitmer's $83.5 billion Michigan state budget proposal? The governor's proposal for FY2026 includes record-high per-pupil funding at $10,000. It's an increase of $392 per pupil from the last budget. 'Investments of $10,000 per pupil all across the state is not just the right thing to do, it's absolutely necessary if we're going to improve outcomes for kids,' Whitmer said. Recent data from the shows per-pupil funding averages about $15,000 nationally. Michigan ranks among the lowest. Grand Rapids Public Schools spokesman Luke Stier said district leaders are 'extremely encouraged' by the governor's proposal for education. In addition to potentially turning test scores around, Stier said the move follows inflation. 'Just like everybody watching at home, our costs are increasing as well,' Stier said. 'The cost for books and laptops, the cost of health insurance and salaries, utilities, it's all rising. It's really important our funding keeps up with those rising costs.' Read: Highlights of Whitmer's education budget proposal As a national teacher shortage continues, Whitmer wants to continue to fund programs helping college students become teachers tuition-free. Another investment supports the 'Grow Your Own' program, giving districts money to help staff get the training they need to become certified teachers. 'It won't be a surprise to anyone that we're going to continue to do what we can to encourage and support people to go into the profession of teaching, support teachers who are there, students who want to go into teaching,' Whitmer said. 'Make sure they don't have to amass a bunch of debt in order to do a job we desperately need great people to do.' Stier said GRPS has cut its teacher shortage in half over the past two years. The district has taken advantage of the Grow Your Own program and worked with . Stier said Ottawa Hills High School, Alger Middle School and Campus Elementary are nearly fully staffed this year after struggling in the past. 'We believe a big part of that is a grant like that that has allowed teachers to get a to teach in those facilities,' Stier said. Students get full ride to MSU to become future GRPS teachers With Republicans controlling the state House of Representatives, it remains to be seen whether Whitmer's goals will go forward. Stier said GRPS leaders are hopeful. 'I think you'll see if you look back through previous budgets on education, we've seen lawmakers from both sides of the aisle be able to come together and support funding for education in a bipartisan manner,' Stier said. 'We're optimistic and excited to see that continue.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
