District says 12 teachers completed master's through Grow‑Your‑Own grant; program moving support staff into teacher pipeline

Rockford Public Schools updated the board on its Grow Your Own (GYO) teacher pipeline program, reporting that 12 district staff recently completed master's degrees using grant funding and that the program is preparing additional support staff for licensure and student teaching.

Doctor Wilson Crawford reported that 12 teachers from across the district graduated with master's degrees using GYO grant funding, and said the total number of district staff who have completed master’s degrees through the program is now 18. He also said the district has its first support‑staff‑to‑teacher candidate completing an initial successful year of teaching and that several staffers will begin student teaching in the fall or winter.

“We have 12 teachers from across the district, including a really big cohort at Valley View Elementary, which I think maybe had 6 of the 12 graduates, completed their masters using this grant funding,” Doctor Wilson Crawford told the board. He credited the district’s executive director for community services and success coaches for coordinating supports that allowed staff to complete coursework while working.

Administrators said the GYO grant supports both teachers and support staff seeking teaching credentials and that the district expects multiple staff to complete degrees next year, including several support staff beginning student teaching and a goal that 4–6 support staff could graduate with bachelor’s degrees in the coming year.

Board members congratulated the graduates and praised the district’s investment in staff development; administrators said the program’s supports, including coordination by district staff, are essential because participants complete coursework while holding full‑time jobs.