Charles County Public Schools has recently secured a second wave of funding from the state, aimed at enhancing its “Grow Your Own” program, which is designed to cultivate local educators. This initiative will primarily support conditional teachers who possess bachelor’s degrees but still need to obtain their professional licensure.
According to the school system, this new funding opportunity will enable qualified CCPS employees to enroll in an expedited licensure program offered by Notre Dame of Maryland University at absolutely no financial cost to the participants. The grant will help cover expenses such as tuition, books, fees, assessments, and admission costs for the program.
The district has plans to assist 75 conditional teachers by organizing three cohorts of 25 educators each, with this latest grant lasting until June 30, 2030. Participants in this program may receive up to 45 credits for experiential learning they have gained while working directly in classrooms.
“The combination of this along with an accelerated course load allows them to potentially finish their licensure in as little as 12 to 15 months,” remarked Holly Dolan, a specialist in staff growth and retention at CCPS.
This second round of funding builds upon an earlier Grow Your Own grant totaling $2,042,630 that CCPS received earlier this year. This initial funding is targeted at supporting the district’s Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program (RTAP), aimed at assisting paraprofessionals and other school staff in becoming licensed educators while they continue their work within CCPS.
The initial program creatively integrates on-the-job training, mentorship, and complimentary coursework. CCPS has indicated that those who complete their Maryland teaching license through RTAP will be required to commit to teaching within the district for a period of three years.
With the new grant, CCPS has chosen to focus specifically on conditional teachers—those already teaching but still working towards fulfilling their requirements for full professional licensure. The pathway to licensure will be available to all conditional teachers, although the district will prioritize hiring in areas that are traditionally hard to staff, such as secondary mathematics, special education, and early childhood education.
These areas directly correlate with the statewide concerns regarding teacher shortages identified by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE).
MSDE’s Round 2 Grow Your Own Educators Grant Program is strategically designed to initiate sustainable pathways to teacher licensure through collaborative partnerships among local school systems, employee organizations, and Maryland institutions of higher education. The state allocated $19.4 million for this funding round with an expectation of granting approximately 24 awards.
Participants in the state program may receive financial assistance as they prepare for their licensure and must agree to a three-year service commitment as full-time educators in high-needs schools or content areas within the same local education authority.
“The funding will provide them the opportunity to attend Notre Dame of Maryland University completely cost-free,” Dolan added.
Notre Dame of Maryland University offers an Accelerated Certification in Teaching program, aimed at those holding non-teaching bachelor’s degrees. This state-approved graduate-level program provides pathways to certification in various fields, including elementary education, early childhood education, special education, and several secondary subjects like mathematics, English, science, and social studies.
This new funding award is a continuation of a broader statewide effort to expand Grow Your Own funding that was announced back in April. The office of Governor Wes Moore indicated that $19 million from that earlier initiative was allocated among 13 local school systems, expected to support over 620 educators. Charles County’s share was identified as $2 million, with CCPS later detailing its actual award as $2,042,630.
“The Grow Your Own program serves as a vital tool for tackling our teacher shortage issue by recognizing and certifying the professionals already integrated into our educational system,” Governor Moore stated during the announcement of previous awards. “This targeted investment in our talent pipeline is essential to fostering a diverse and high-quality educator workforce, ensuring that our students benefit from the mentorship and support they truly need.”
CCPS has included the recruitment and retention of educators as a key element of its strategic plan for 2025-2029. The district aims to dismantle financial and structural obstacles for employees aspiring to transition into teaching roles while maintaining their connection to the communities they serve.
This local initiative also mirrors a national trend revealing a decline in interest in teaching professions. Research published in 2024 by Matthew A. Kraft and Melissa Arnold Lyon from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that about 8% of the college-educated workforce in the U.S.—approximately 5.4 million individuals—are employed as K-12 teachers. Their study highlighted a significant downturn in individuals’ desire to enter the teaching profession since around 2010, linking this dip to various factors like wages, college expenses, union influence, and autonomy within the profession.
“For many of our participants, particularly those who have grown up in the communities we serve, there’s a profound motivation to give back,” Dolan said. “They aspire to teach in the schools that shaped them and want to play a part in the success of future generations.”
Dolan further explained that some candidates have expressed a desire to become the type of supportive adult they had during their own childhoods.
“They recognize that teaching encompasses much more than simply delivering academic content,” Dolan added. “It is about establishing meaningful relationships, nurturing a sense of belonging, and equipping students with essential academic, social, and life skills required for their success.”
