Starting Early: The Case for Initiating the Minnesota Department of Education's Grow Your Own Programs in Middle School

By Don Allen, Journal of A Black Teacher (Editorial Opinion)

The Minnesota Department of Education's Grow Your Own programs are innovative and needed ventures laid out to cater to the reality of teacher shortages and to develop a teaching career workforce that is diverse and highly qualified. Though these kinds of programs generally target both high school dropouts and paraprofessionals for the project, there is still a very strong argument to begin real GYO programs as early as middle school. Beginning GYO initiatives in middle school can harness the formative nature of these years, providing a strong foundation for future educators and addressing critical educational challenges.

How do district leaders Identify and cultivate an interest in teaching? Middle school is a formative stage for scholars regarding their interests or the road to their future careers. With this program, the Minnesota Department of Education will be better prepared to identify students who already have an interest in teaching and help foster that interest. This sets up the phase of developing a passion for education before high school, with all its pressures and distractions, sets in. Middle school is a time for students to venture into a variety of new subjects and activities. GYO programs can offer dozens of exploratory courses and extracurricular opportunities that are linked directly to some aspect of teaching—whether contributing as a peer tutor, serving as a classroom assistant, or other education-affiliated experiences—that are arms reach beneficial to helping students get an insider view of the value and impact of education, therefore creating lifelong commitments to the profession.

Minnesota still struggles with teacher shortages and diversity; Black male teachers make up 1.4 percent of Minnesota’s teacher force (Black Men Teach, 2022).  As in most of the country, teacher scarcity in Minnesota is a chronic issue. Farther equipped on this, there is a significant lack of the variety of teachers represented within the educational system; without a varying representation of teachers, it can become impossible to mold the quality of education into the students, particularly in downtown segments with highly varying and diverse student bodies. It is at the level of the middle school that many of the key features that have been ascribed to starting GYO programs take on a particular resonance. By engaging diverse students early on, GYO programs provide a pipeline for the future of teaching that better reflects the student population. This early exposure in the classroom may give a sense of purpose to middle school students from underrepresented communities relating to the teaching profession and the belief that teaching is a satisfying and workable career. This is to say that teachers must break down boundaries in terms of demographics to be able to take this critical step of early exposure.

Some Twin Cities public and charter schools have 90 percent of their African American students in 6th through 8th grades in the 0-10 percentile in reading, math, and science (NWEA, 2024).  Middle school is a critical time in students' careers to build the skills and knowledge to become the foundation of their career and college success. GYO programs in this time frame are those in grades that would be intentionally supported by both directed intervention and enriching opportunities to accomplish the concurrent building of both academic skills and understandings relative to the structure of education; this includes life skills. 

Of course, the rigor of school coursework must rise.

Education in the GYO program is sought through advanced coursework, mentoring with experienced educators, and early teaching experiences that build critical skills among middle schools. Through laying of strong foundational support in education, these students will be well prepared for the prerequisite demanding training and education in the future to yield good teachers. In middle school, GYO programs might create lifelong learning and shift their socioeconomic outlooks for students who would reach self-actualization in development simply by participating. The middle school students in these programs would understand the long-term value of education and continue to develop themselves—qualities necessary to succeed as educators and humans.

Current Minnesota GYO initiatives exclude opportunities for middle school students and do not expose them to college-based experiences such as workshops, conferences, and seminars in education and teaching. If GYO were in middle schools, such programs should help instill a commitment to lifelong professional growth and development, and they hopefully keep these young idealists engaged and resilient in their efforts to be effective servants of increasing numbers of students in succeeding years. Starting GYO right from middle school can, therefore, provide a reinforcement in which schools connect with the communities. With the involvement of middle school students in activities of teaching and support in education, schools can instill responsibility and community engagement. A student who sees the impact of education on communities usually grows a commitment to give back or contribute to the locale's betterment.

A key takeaway is that middle school GYO programs can engage parents, community members, and local organizations in supporting and mentoring students. Such a collaborative approach might establish a supportive network that reinforces gains made through education and provides students with the resources and encouragement necessary to pursue a career in teaching. We talk about advancing equity and access to educational opportunities, but it’s difficult to see, feel, and understand.  Educational equity has been a central goal for the Minnesota Department of Education, and middle school students from disadvantaged backgrounds are often limited from accessing facilities and other opportunities for an appropriate education. GYO programs can give impetus to cooperative learning, support structures, and enrichment lodges with activities that make sure all students get a chance to make it through. The availability of GYO programs in middle schools would ensure that students from every background receive the mentorship, guidance, and educational experience needed to enter a teaching career. This would put much emphasis on equity and ensure that talented people of diverse backgrounds are attracted to the teaching profession.

Minnesota’s middle school students need a tipping point to increase school engagement and motivation, which could be contagious. Middle school students exhibit a loss of engagement and motivation, especially as they leave the more sheltered environment of elementary school for a more rigorous and structured middle and high school environment. GYO programs can be designed to increase student engagement by making learning more meaningful and relevant because students will see the connections between project learning and its real-world application. When students see how their education can actually serve them toward a rewarding career in teaching, they will be encouraged and engaged. Thus, with this higher level of engagement in learning, students could begin to do well academically and eventually be dedicated to growing professionally with further education.

Minnesota’s Best Workforce must intentionally provide early career exploration and preparation, allowing middle school students to gain awareness of the possible careers through GYO programs would, therefore, form a critical component of their education, enabling them to come into contact with the teaching profession at an early stage through internships, job shadowing, and actual teaching in schools. This early career exploration allows the student to make informed decisions about the future and to have a clearly defined pathway toward becoming an educator. With high school on their horizon, middle school students are well prepared to pursue careers as teachers that might involve required coursework, extracurricular activities, and college readiness.

The Minnesota Department of Education Grow Your Own programs must develop an opportunity to transform the teaching profession to address teacher shortages, promote teacher diversity, and build a highly trained and committed workforce. Initiating programs at an earlier stage, like in middle school, will help the department take advantage of the formative nature of middle school years in the identification and cultivation of future educators and creating an effective educational foundation while working in the service of equity and access to educational opportunity. Early implementation of GYO programs will serve as inspiration to dedicate a life to teaching and further increase student engagement, motivation, and connection to their communities. Ultimately, embarking on GYO initiatives at the middle school level serves as a strategic and high-impact approach to cultivating the next generation of educators for the state of Minnesota.