Lewis County Herald - Serving Hohenwald, Lewis County Tennessee Since 1898

Tennessee is the first state nationwide to sponsor Teacher Occupation Apprenticeship Programs

between school districts

and the University of Tennessee

system, calling it The Grow

Your Own Program.

Just as all districts across

Tennessee are facing teacher

shortages, Lewis County

Schools is no exception. Beginning

this summer, Lewis County

Schools has their fi rst Grow

Your Own Program partnership

with UT Southern in Pulaski,

TN. Congratulations to Lewis

County Schools fi rst cohort of

Grow Your Own apprentices:

Benefi t for Burcham family

Jessica Stacy, Maci Dodson and

Julie McDonald. The apprentices

will begin the UT Southern

Grow Your Own Program in

the summer 2023

Lewis County Schools and

UT Southern will have a partnership

that will provide a

dedicated support team that

is directly involved with the

apprentices from the moment

they express interest in the

program. The apprentices have

been part of a district screening,

they received references

from their administrators,

participated in meetings and

discussions about what the

program entails, had their prior

transcripts evaluated and

been managed centrally and

will continue to be supported

throughout the program completion.

The GYO Program allows

the apprentices to continue

to work in the school while

completing an online teaching

degree with UT Southern. This

program is a wonderful opportunity

to fi ll vacancies with

people from our community

that have a vested interest and

are currently working at the

schools as paraprofessionals.

These apprentices have positive

connections and caring relationships

already established

with our students.

If you are interested in Lewis

County Schools Grow Your

Own Program please contact

Dr. Tracy McAbee or Mrs.

Brandi Feichtinger at Lewis

County Schools Central Offi ce

931-796-3264.