Home Grown Teachers

The above link does not take you directly to the article. You have to click on Home Grown Teachers at the Rural Education archive web page to read the article.

by Staff - December 2008 - Rural Policy Matters

An extensive locally developed and locally funded grow-your-own-teacher program is underway in North Carolina’s Bertie County, the state’s poorest school system in terms of local funding.

This isolated rural school district in the state’s northeast corner serves some 3,300 students, with a free and reduced lunch rate of 89%. Like most high-poverty schools, it has struggled with academic performance and staffing. According to Superintendent Chip Zullinger, “One of our biggest dysfunctions is keeping qualified teachers. Two of every five school days kids have a substitute.”

Congratulations to the Bertie County Board of Education and Superintendent Zullinger for finding a way to stop wasting our money on central administration and instead dedicating that money to our kid's futures.

Also a special thanks to Shaw University.

Great article. Great program. Great job!