The Warren County Public Schools system continues to push back against a nationwide teacher shortage one rank at a time.

Educators and families gathered at Greenwood High School on Thursday for a “signing day” celebrating 17 teachers seeking Rank 1 or 2 certification status through its Grow Your Own initiative.

“Anytime that we can provide our teachers with an opportunity to further their professional learning while at the same time increasing the compensation that they very well deserve, it’s truly an honor,” WCPS Superintendent Rob Clayton said.

The event is the second signing day held by WCPS in recent months, the last of which invited 37 teachers in collaboration with Western Kentucky University.

Thursday’s event marks the start of teachers’ work with BloomBoard, a talent development program centered around flexible education instruction. WCPS will pay most of the $6,000 tuition, dropping the cost to $1,500 for teachers.

Graduates of the Grow Your Own program commit to staying within the district for several years, helping secure local educators as hiring becomes more difficult.

BloomBoard Director of Sales Carter Myers said over 1,200 Kentucky educators are currently enrolled in their program and more than 200 have already graduated in the past three years.

Myers added the program also offers to pay any Rank 1 teacher willing to mentor less certified educators $1,000 per mentee, meaning even those with the highest rank can still benefit.

BloomBoard’s “job-embedded” approach allows teachers to complete training in anywhere between one to four years to fit their schedule. Classwork like lesson plans and activities can be submitted for critique, allowing them to utilize the work they’re already doing.

“We’ve had some people finish in a year, (…) we’ve had some people take three years,” Myers said. “It’s all up to you and your pace of life, but teachers love that because they’re the driver.”

Rich Pond Elementary teacher Stephanie Shrull is in her ninth year teaching in WCPS. She said seeking a rank change would be difficult as a mom of three without a program like BloomBoard and Grow Your Own.

“I do like the option that BloomBoard gives with having some flexibility in completing the program,” Shrull said. “I looked at it as, if Warren County is willing to do this for us, then I owe it to myself to better myself and go after that next degree.”

Shrull said she looks forward to the individualized approach to instruction and the ability to use her ongoing classwork in the process.

“I think it will lead to more successful classrooms because teachers will have those new skills, more advanced skills and have that opportunity to go back to school to get that second next degree or rank,” Shrull said.

Clayton said more opportunities like BloomBoard and the partnership with WKU will likely arise in the future.

“We’re continuing to look at any creative, innovative idea to not only provide professional learning opportunities for our staff but then also to help elevate the profession,” Clayton said. “We feel like this partnership will better demonstrate our commitment to elevating the profession, to encouraging individuals to consider becoming an educator and making a difference in others’ lives.”