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NEWS RELEASE

The Tennessee Department of Education announced continued statewide investments through a component of Tennessee’s Grow Your Own (GYO) initiative earlier this month. Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) was of four Education Preparation Providers (EPPs) to be awarded Tennessee Teacher Apprenticeship funds for the spring semester.

Since 2020, the Tennessee Department of Education has awarded nearly $1 million in Grow Your Own grants to LMU students enrolled in the MEdITL program. Through these nine grant awards, LMU is serving Title I schools, urban, suburban and rural schools. The GYO program recruits non-licensed individuals already employed by local area schools and provides a pathway to earn a teacher’s license and education degree. The apprenticeship component will allow candidates to continue in their current paid positions while earning a degree and initial teacher licensure, at no cost to the student.

The additional GYO Apprenticeship funding will allow LMU to bring more individuals into the teaching profession and address some specific in-demand concentration areas like special education and science. LMU plans to add 40 new Master of Education in Initial Teacher Licensure (MEdITL) students in January. Spots remain available. For more information or to apply contact Susan Long at susan.long@LMUnet.edu.

“Lincoln Memorial University is grateful for the opportunity to support such innovative teacher apprenticeship opportunities for future Tennessee educators,” said Dr. John McCook, chair of the LMU Carter and Moyers School of Education graduate programs. “We’ve had tremendous success with our initial Grow Your Own programs, and our new apprenticeship pathway is truly a program full of promise. We’re proud to serve educators in their journey to support Tennessee students.”

Demonstrating the state’s commitment to continue to invest in high-quality, no-cost opportunities for Tennesseans to earn a degree and teacher’s license for free, while getting paid to do so, the apprenticeship subgrants will ensure EPPs, like LMU, receive support to deliver high-quality instruction and flexible offerings – regardless of location, district partnership, and program size.

“Tennessee educators work hard to advance students’ academic outcomes and ensure future readiness, inspiring for growth and achievement every day,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “Building off the proven success of our earlier Grow Your Own Teacher Apprenticeship models, Tennessee is pointing the way to more effectively staff our nation’s schools. We look forward to sustainable expansion through Tennessee’s Strategic efforts to address teacher shortages with high-quality programs.”

The Tennessee Grow Your Own Center was established in May 2022 with $20 million in funding from TDOE to create sustainable statewide support for teacher apprenticeship programs in Tennessee. The Grow Your Own Center is a service of the University of Tennessee System, but the center provides connections between learners and coursework providers from a multitude of Tennessee colleges and universities.