June 17, 2021 3:30 a.m.
Douglas Education Service District has received a Grow Your Own Teacher Pathways Grant from the Educator Advancement Council.
Deborah Whitaker, the Grow Your Own Facilitator for Douglas ESD said the $155,677 awarded locally is intended to develop the conditions needed to diversity the teacher workforce and provide equitable pathways to community members to become teachers and educators within Douglas County.
Whitaker said the grant supports the partnership between the Douglas ESD’s Teach Umpqua program, local school districts, and Umpqua Community College. She said the partnership is designed to increase the number of underrepresented high school students, non-license school employees and rural community members engaging in preparation for a career in education.
As a result of the grant, UCC’s Intro to Education course was made available, tuition free, to high school students considering a career in education. Additionally, the grant provided funding for textbooks to supplement UCC’s existing inventory. The course introduces students to essential understandings of current practices in K-12 schools.
The primary objectives of Teach Umpqua, which is supported by the EAC grant include:
*Address the disparity between teachers and counselors of color and students of color in Douglas County.
*Provide a solution to the teacher and counselor recruitment and retention challenge within 13 school districts in the county, particularly in the fields of special education, counseling, science and math.
The EAC grant also funds some strategies to ensure the Teach Umpqua program is equitable and sustainable by:
*Supporting current educators pursuing teacher certification as well as funding scholarships. Priority will be given to Black, Indigenous and people of color and those pursing licensure in hard to fill areas.
*Providing mentorship opportunities
*Increasing marketing efforts to provide pathways that lead to teaching careers and make it the go-to resource in the county regarding available teaching positions in the public-school system
Grow Your Own programs are being developed throughout Oregon. At this time, 27 grants have been awarded for a total amount of $6.8 million.