Austin Peay State University receives $1.025 million grant from Tennessee Department of Education

Austin Peay State University has received a grant from the Tennessee Department of Education to benefit the Eriksson College of Education’s Grow Your Own Teacher Residency apprenticeship program. The $1.025 million grant will provide support for students to earn a teaching degree for free, funding the Grow Your Own program through July 2027.

According to an article on Austin Peay State University’s website, Amy Barrett, who serves as the director of the Office of Teacher Education and Partnerships, was quoted as saying of the grant award, "With this grant funding, we can continue breaking down financial barriers that often prevent talented individuals from pursuing teaching careers. The beauty of our Grow Your Own model is that it creates a win-win situation — our district partners gain dedicated educators who are already familiar with their school communities, while our students can earn their degrees and teaching credentials without the burden of educational debt. This accessibility is transforming how we prepare the next generation of teachers."

The Ericksson College of Education within Austin Peay State University began its Grow Your Own Teacher Residency program with its first cohort in 2019, with its students finding full-time teaching positions within the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System. The Grow Your Own program entails education students earning a degree for free through working full-time, paid positions in local classrooms and attending their own classes at night or online around their work schedule.

The teacher apprentices are enrolled in an accelerated bachelor degree program at Austin Peay State University that will take them three years to complete. During that time, the students are matched with teachers in the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System to serve as their mentors while they take on their own classrooms. The mentor teachers will provide the teacher apprentices with support and guidance throughout their program. 

Since the program’s establishment in 2019, the apprenticeship program has expanded to other rural school districts in the region.

Amber Button, who serves as the Eriksson College of Education's coordinator of teacher residencies, said, "This grant will continue to make a tremendous difference in opening doors for aspiring teachers. We are thrilled that the state sees the value in supporting our program and students."

The no-cost pathway to a degree in education is one of the efforts around the state to combat the teacher shortage, as well as making bachelor degree programs more accessible to more individuals in Tennessee. 

The grant agreement between the university and the Tennessee Department of Education includes the administration of scholarships that will help teacher apprentices pay for the expenses they accrue during their education, like tuition, books, and fees.

Dr. John R. McConnell III, the interim dean of the Eriksson College of Education, said, "We are thrilled to receive this funding from the Tennessee Department of Education. It will allow us to remove barriers and increase access to our high-quality teacher preparation program. The Grow Your Own Teacher Residency provides a pathway to teaching for many who wouldn't have the means otherwise. Together with the support of the university administration, as well as our state and district partners, we have graduated nearly 150 students since 2022, and the level of community interest continues to expand."

For more information about Austin Peay State University, visit the school’s website.