Carson City School District Partners with iteach to Create a "Grow Your Own" Program with Full Tuition Reimbursement to Teachers

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Jan 24, 2023, 08:00 ET

CARSON CITY, Nev., Jan. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Last month members of the Carson City HR team reached out to iteach to create a "Grown Your Own" educator preparation program (EPP) that will enrich and license the degreed teacher candidates in their school community and surrounding areas.

The partnership will give Carson City full control of the teacher candidate recruitment process while iteach will provide free test preparation and assume creation, maintenance, and assessment of all coursework and educator platforms. "The most significant opportunity to address teacher shortages is investing in those who already know the school community and the students. To this end, establishing a "Grow Your Own" program with iteach provides an effective solution to provide students with highly effective teachers already familiar to the students and schools without sacrificing the cost and resources it takes to establish and maintain a district-wide educator prep program," said Andrew Rozell MBA, President, iteach.

To further support teachers, Carson City has agreed to give a full reimbursement of iteach tuition to any candidate that completes the iteach program.

iteach is a national teacher licensing provider accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) since 2009. "One of the core strengths of the iteach curriculum is that it is intentional. The content, voice, and design make it clear that it was developed by experienced, educators with high expectations and with great respect for teaching and learning," said Wendy Amato, Chief Academic Officer at Learner's Edge and Professor at the University of Virginia's School of Education.

To support first-year teachers, EPP candidates are assigned a one-on-one supervisor for their field experience to provide mentorship, guidance, and perform formal observations. These supervisors work in tandem with schools and principals to ensure growth and coaching. As an iteach "Grown Your Own" partner CCSD has elected to use former Carson City principals and teachers familiar with the district's vision and goals to lead these new recruits. "The Carson City School District is excited to partner with iteach on this project. Goal 1 of our district strategic plan, Empower Carson City 2027, is to recruit and retain exceptional personnel. iteach will help us achieve that goal," said Andrew Feuling, Carson City School District Superintendent.

About iteach:

iteach is a nationally accredited online alternative teacher certification program that helps individuals who have a bachelor's degree obtain a teaching license outside traditional pathways. It proudly places thousands of teachers in classrooms each year. iteach is part of a larger organization that includes Learners Edge (iteach, Teaching Channel, and Learners Edge). iteach is expanding in the United States and is approved in Arizona, Arkansas, the District of Colombia, Indiana, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Nevada, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.