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Cited by 7Teacher Professional Development and MotivationHistorical Education Studies WorldwideEducation in Rural Contexts

“We Are Gonna Miss Too Many of Them”: Rurality, Race, and the History of Grow Your Own Teacher Programs

Gelber, Scott·2022·American Journal of Education
DOI 10.1086/721860
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Abstract

This article employs historical methodology to explore the evolution of Grow Your Own (GYO) teacher programs. These initiatives, which continue to rank among the most popular methods of teacher recruitment, originated as “future teacher” clubs designed to attract students into the profession during a severe staffing shortage that occurred during the 1940s and 1950s. In that era, recruiters attempted to hook students with appeals to the joy of working with children and a conservative version of public service. During the 1970s, recruiters shifted their language to reflect the emergence of a more progressive iteration of youth culture. However, when viewed over the long term, the newer invocations of teacher activism seem like a reformulation of traditional appeals to patriotism. In particular, supporters of GYO programs continued to hope that rural students and students of color would be especially receptive to a nonmaterial emphasis on civic duty. Despite these earnest efforts, future teacher clubs had a relatively modest impact on recruitment. This history provides a cautionary reminder of a widespread tendency to attribute teacher behavior to personal qualities rather than structural forces.

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Crossref · 10.1086/721860

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  • Media-amplified narratives of failure supported expanding non-university pathways, including new Graduate Schools of Education and Grow Your Own programmes in the United States.

    “Media-amplified narratives of failure supported expanding non-university pathways, including new Graduate Schools of Education (nGSE) and Grow Your Own (GYO) programmes in the United States”

    From A prescriptive continuum analytical framework for measuring school curriculum structure (2026) · cites this paper as Gelber 2022

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Authors
Gelber, S.
Affiliations
Wheaton College - Massachusetts (US)
Corresponding author
Gelber, Scott
ORCID
Gelber, Scott
Venue
American Journal of Education
Publisher
University of Chicago Press
Published
2022-11-01
Volume
129
Issue
1
Pages
29-51
ISSN
  • 0195-6744 (ISSN-L)
  • 1549-6511
DOI
10.1086/721860
OpenAlex
W4304589901
Cited by
7
References
60
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2
FWCI
1.62
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
American Journal of Education (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Education › Teacher Professional Development and Motivation
  • Social Sciences › Education › Historical Education Studies Worldwide
  • Social Sciences › Education › Education in Rural Contexts
Keywords
teacher recruitment, teacher shortage, rurality, race, students of color, rural students, teacher activism, patriotism, youth culture, civic responsibility

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