IONIA, Mich. — Keeping the attention of 8th graders is no easy task, let alone keeping their attention while talking about literature published nearly 200 years ago.
But at Ionia Middle School, that’s exactly what Mrs. Campbell is doing as she discusses Edgar Allen Poe’s The Tell Tale Heart.
And she’s been doing it for more than two decades.
“Seeing the enthusiasm and how excited they are, it's amazing,” Ionia Middle School teacher, Jen Campbell said.
And while she’s mastered the art of bringing literature to life, she’s now embarking on a new set of skills through the Grow Your Own (GYO) Program.
The state-funded grant allows district employees like Mrs. Campbell to get additional endorsements or initial certification to qualify them to fill needed roles, especially in special education— all free of charge.
Districts like Ionia are using the money to address the need for more qualified special educators in their district.
“It is a theme throughout the state, where we have to staff classrooms that require specialized instruction, special specialized personnel, unfortunately, with uncertified individuals,” Ionia Public Schools Director of Special Education James Nuse said.
It's a move the director of special education at Ionia Public Schools says is becoming more common nationwide when it comes to special education.
“We really had a shortage in this country since 1998 in the field of special education,” Central Michigan University Department of Special Education Professor Mark Moody said. “60- or 70% of the school districts in the state have at least one opening in special education.”
Moody works directly with prospective special education teachers at Central Michigan University (CMU) and says there are a number of factors leading to this shortage— like extra schooling and workload.
“Collecting data, looking at data, determining interventions and strategies for students is time-consuming,” Moody said.
Generally speaking, that extra time spent in the classroom doesn’t mean extra money for these positions.
“And with this grant, we're going to be able to offer people an opportunity to do so with no costs on their own, no student loans, no private loans,” Nuse said.
In high-quality GYO programs, both partners commit to wrap-around support of candidates through shared mentorship, coaching, observation, and assessment of emerging teachers from the beginning of teacher preparation coursework through the first years of their service as certified teachers.
—Michigan Department of Education - Grow Your Own (GYO) Programs for School Staff Grant
For Mrs. Campbell, her journey to getting endorsed in special education is just getting started
“My classes are all online, through Central Michigan University, and you kind of go at your own pace,” Campbell said.
She's one of at least five people in the Ionia School District utilizing the grant to fill special education positions and says without it, this wouldn’t be possible.
“It's opened the doors, a door that would not have been opened otherwise,” Campbell said. “I'm so excited for this.”
There is work now to take away categories of special education so an endorsement would cover an umbrella of different eligibility in special education. The Michigan Department of Education hopes this will streamline the certification process and also help get more teachers in those positions.
