Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) recently received a grant toward teacher recruitment and retention from the state’s Grow Your Own Educators Grant Program.
The grant funding, awarded through Gov. Wes Moore’s office, addresses teacher shortages by providing more opportunities for non-licensed school employees to become full-time teachers.
CCPS was awarded $2,042,630 from the competitive grant, and was one of 13 Maryland school systems awarded funds. The grant awarded $19 million to school systems across Maryland.
The funding supports the Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program, also known as RTAP. “We recognized early on that the program offers a powerful opportunity to expand career pathways for support staff who already play a critical role in our schools,” Holly Dolan, CCPS staff growth and retention specialist, said. “With RTAP, CCPS can intentionally remove financial and structural barriers that have historically limited access to the teaching profession, allowing instructional assistants and other support staff to build on their experience and transition into professionally licensed teaching roles while remaining rooted in our district and community.”
The Grow Your Own grant paves the way for current school employees to become licensed teachers while continuing to work in schools. CCPS will address educator shortages in specific subject areas including but not limited to special education, math and the English Language Development (ELD), through RTAP.
The program is a pathway that combines on-the-job training with mentorship and free coursework. Once an employee earns a teaching license through the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), they must fulfill a three-year commitment to work as a teacher with CCPS.
“Through the Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program, we are intentionally investing in our support staff — individuals who already know our schools, our students, and our values — by fully supporting their journey to becoming professionally licensed educators,” Dolan said. “This work strengthens a diverse, locally rooted teacher workforce and ensures that the future of teaching in Charles County is built by those who are truly connected to the communities we serve.”
CCPS is partnering with the College of Southern Maryland and Notre Dame of Maryland University for the apprenticeship program.
The state’s Grow Your Own was expanded through the recent Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act which takes additional steps to address the teacher shortage by developing fully licensed teachers through recruitment campaigns and supporting debt-free pathways to teacher licensure.
Part of the plan
Grow your own initiatives are not new to CCPS. They are part of the 2025-2029 CCPS Strategic Plan which guides the work of the school system through the next four years, including employee recruitment and retention. Goal 3 of the plan focuses on attracting, developing and retaining education professionals to support student success.
To learn more about the Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program (RTAP) visit https://www.ccboe.com/staff/myccps/benefits/registered-teacher-apprenticeship-program-rtap.
To read more about the program visit https://bit.ly/4uymE4g.
