Frederick County Public Schools is one of 13 Maryland school systems that will receive funding through the Grow Your Own Educators Grant Program, designed to create stronger pathways for non-licensed school staff to become full-time teachers.
FCPS will receive an $855,646 grant to support recruiting and preparing school employees in the community to become licensed teachers while still working. This pathway provides an opportunity for conditionally-licensed FCPS special education teachers to enroll in a post-baccalaureate certificate program at McDaniel College in Westminster.
“In FCPS, one of our key strategic plan priorities is to hire, support and retain staff who champion individual, professional, and student excellence,” FCPS Superintendent Dr. Cheryl L. Dyson said. “I am so appreciative of this grant funding and the opportunity it will provide so many in our community to become licensed teachers.”
Statewide, the grants will support more than 620 educators across 13 local school districts, according to a press release shared Wednesday by Office of Gov. Wes Moore. Awarded districts will prioritize recruiting and retaining male educators.
“We aren't just filling seats. We are building a diverse, highly qualified workforce that reflects our students and ensures every child has access to a world-class education,” State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carey M. Wright said.
The Grow Your Own Educators Grant Program was expanded through the Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act signed by Governor Moore last year, which takes additional steps to address the teacher shortage by developing fully licensed teachers through recruitment campaigns and supporting debt-free pathways to teacher licensure.