Springfield Public Schools advertises teacher recruitment program for LGBTQ+ and students of color to “actualize” its DEI priorities
Incidents
Springfield Public Schools (SPS)’ Future Educators Program, in partnership with Missouri State University’s Grow Your Own Program, is accepting applications for its 2026-2027 cohort.
The program, which supports teacher recruitment, is aimed at helping SPS “actualize its diversity, equity, and inclusion priorities by recruiting, hiring, and retaining educators from underrepresented and under-resourced backgrounds.”
The district defines these groups as the following, but not limited to:
- Students from diverse religious backgrounds and belief systems
- Students of Color, in terms of domestic and international racial and ethnic identities
- Students with Disabilities
- English Language Learners
- LGBTQ+ Students
- Students who receive FREE and REDUCED Lunch
- Students who receive McKinney-Vento Services
The program is designed for identified students at SPS’ partner institution(s) interested in pursuing careers in education and includes financial assistance, auxiliary programming, mentor support and job placement assistance upon successful completion of all requirements for certification and criteria of the program, the job listing states.
The “grow your own program,” according to a 2022 press release outlining the cooperative agreement, is for SPS graduates who commit to Missouri State University and then commit to teaching in SPS once they graduate.
The SPS/MSU program is part of a broader regional network of Grow Your Own teacher recruitment programs in all Missouri schools districts in partnership with the Missouri Teacher Development System (MTDS).
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