In 2003, the concept of the "Grow Your Own Teacher" program was born from a desire to reach out and extend the Highline School District's recruiting arms to find dedicated professionals in local communities who want to be educators.
Program parameters reflected support through district initiatives and funding, with a particular interest in connecting with individuals who hope to obtain an endorsement in hard-to-fill assignments such as math, science and special education.
The concept was easily and quickly adopted through a recruiting effort with community based organization leaders. The first group completed the program and new teachers were hired from the successful cohort.
Since then, the program has undergone a facelift and has become a more focused program with two components - one that provides an opportunity to community members and one that assists current district employees.
In early December, a dedicated effort was launched to honor its roots while enhancing and expanding the program.
Billed as the Community Aspiring Teachers (C.A.T.) and the Highline Aspiring Teachers (H.A.T.), individuals are encouraged to contact the district if they have an interest in participating in the program.
At this time, university partnerships are being built and a cohort is being developed in order to begin the coursework in May or June 2008.
Highline will provide facilities, and will support the program by offering specific curricular input to enhance the potential teachers' knowledge of the district's academic structure.
As a major component of more focused recruiting efforts, the graduates of this program will proceed through the hiring process in a more streamlined manner. Teacher Selection Interviews will be conducted before completion, and guaranteed student teacher experience placements will be made.
With a May or June 2008 start date with an aggressive 9- or 10-month program, successful candidates will be identified and hired to begin the 2009-10 school year.
Interested persons or anyone with questions should contact the district office at 206-433-2281.
