Tennessee Grown: Developing Educators for Tomorrow’s Classroom 

GYO Strategic Plan graphic, showing 5 goals.

Mission 

The Tennessee Grow Your Own Center strengthens K-12 education by fostering partnerships, innovating programs, and supporting school districts, community-based agencies, and educator preparation programs to meet the state’s workforce development needs and ensure all learners have access to highly qualified and trained education professionals. 

Vision 

The Tennessee Grow Your Own Center makes every K-12 learner’s educational experience better by equipping their schools with expanded pipelines of education professionals who are confident, highly skilled, and committed to their communities. 

Goal 1: Champion Grow Your Own Initiatives

Apprentices, EPPs, LEAs, legislators, and policymakers advocate for Tennessee’s Grow Your Own Registered Apprenticeship Program and champion the unique advantages of the Grow Your Own Center’s role in expanding the pipeline of highly qualified educators in Tennessee.

Strategy 1.1 

Gather, analyze, and publish data on the performance and outcomes of teachers who completed the Grow Your Own Program and the program model’s distinct elements. 

Strategy 1.2 

Research and promote evidence-based practices in teacher apprenticeship models and demonstrate the Center’s critical role in the administration of the program. 

Goal 2: Cultivate a Robust Mentor Network

LEAs and EPPs have access to innovative and consistent mentor development resources.

Strategy 2.1 

Provide ongoing training for mentors and apprentices on software designed to collaboratively track on-the-job learning competencies with LEAs and EPPs. 

Strategy 2.2 

Foster mentor support by raising awareness of available resources, including software solutions, networking opportunities, and other offerings. 

Strategy 2.3 

Collaborate with educators, administrators, policymakers, and other relevant stakeholders to develop a statewide apprenticeship mentorship network. 

Goal 3: Create an Engaged Stakeholder Community

Stakeholders engage in consistent, diverse, and accessible opportunities to communicate and collaboratively design data-informed initiatives to address stakeholder needs.

Strategy 3.1 

Engage the Grow Your Own Center Advisory Board in identifying common needs and prioritizing solution-oriented initiatives. 

Strategy 3.2 

Adapt communication to meet stakeholder needs, including multiple modalities of communication and opportunities for engagement. 

Strategy 3.3 

Expand opportunities for in-person interactions with all stakeholders. 

Goal 4: Develop Tailored Resources

Aspiring or current apprentices, LEAs, and EPPs have access to resources tailored to their distinct needs.

Strategy 4.1 

Collaborate with EPPs and LEAs to create awareness of current resources and develop new wraparound resources for aspiring apprentices. 

Strategy 4.2 

Collaborate with EPPs and LEAs to create awareness of current resources and develop new resources for LEAs.

Goal 5: Expand Apprenticeship Pathways

Aspiring apprentices have access to pathways in every community in Tennessee through the expansion of licensure areas, learning modalities, and degree-level programs.

Strategy 5.1 

Increase the number of EPPs and LEAs serving aspiring apprentices throughout Tennessee with attention to local and regional needs. 

Strategy 5.2 

Identify and pursue additional funding opportunities. 

Strategy 5.3

Assist LEAs in implementing creative approaches to allocating resources.