"Grow Your Own" is a buzzword for efforts to encourage teacher candidates to train and serve in their home communities. The Texas Education Agency has piloted a Grow Your Own grant allocating over $7 million to small and rural districts. This grant pushes the effort one step further: closing the demographic diversity gap between students and teachers. This session explores the research leading to grant launch, outlines pilot-year outcomes, and proposes improvements while inviting feedback.

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