Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Teacher Recruitment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bill to revive and expand 'Grow Your Own' teacher pipeline gains support; universities report early success
Summary
Representative Cetus Crow introduced House Bill 499 to reinstate and extend the Grow Your Own teacher grant program. The Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education said the 2021 pilot funded three campus programs serving more than 100 students through dual‑enrollment and apprenticeship pathways; the sponsor seeks $500,000 per year to continue
Representative Cetus Crow told the committee House Bill 499 would revise and reauthorize the Grow Your Own Grant Program, a 2021 initiative designed to recruit and train educators in rural and reservation communities through dual‑enrollment, apprenticeship and two‑plus‑two pathways. Crow described shortages in crucial subject areas — math, science, English and special education — and said the program helps potential teachers complete college coursework without leaving their communities.
Angela McLean of the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education described the 2021 rollout as “wildly successful.” She said three campus programs — Blackfeet Community College’s native early education program (NEAT), Montana State University–Northern’s Teachers of Promise pathway (serving Havre), and Great Falls College’s two‑plus‑two — enrolled more than 100 students through dual‑credit pathways and that Great Falls anticipates graduating a first cohort of 13 completers in 2026. OCHE reported preliminary follow‑up surveys suggested roughly three‑quarters of enrolled students intend to continue toward a teaching credential.
Representative Crow described program changes from the original authorized language: the bill removes a grant‑to‑loan conversion requirement that proved administratively costly and adds an annual reporting requirement. The sponsor also seeks a $500,000 annual appropriation and intends that funding be included in the ongoing base. Crow and OCHE staff said the Grow Your Own investment leverages existing state programs such as 1‑2‑Free dual‑credit funding and work‑based learning, and that the proposed appropriation would be used to sustain and scale successful campus‑district partnerships.
Committee members asked for implementation detail and a one‑page spending outline; OCHE agreed to provide an operational plan and budget later in the day so the committee could consider funding in subcommittee.
Crow closed by asking for support to address teacher shortages through community‑based training.
