Troy University and the Ozark City Schools have signed an agreement aimed at helping to provide the school system’s next generation of teachers.
The Accelerate Dual Enrollment agreement will enable Ozark City Schools students who express an interest in pursuing a career in education to begin to gain experience and college credit toward an education degree at Troy University.
“This agreement means that Ozark City Schools are going to help develop the next generation of teachers for our system,” said Reeivice Girtman, the system’s superintendent. “We are committed to trying to provide opportunities to our students and that is what this agreement is all about. We are trying to grow our own teachers. We want the next generation of teachers in Ozark City Schools to come from this initiative.”
Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., Chancellor of Troy University, said such partnerships can help to change students’ lives.
“It was Helen Keller that once said, ‘alone I can do so little, but together we can do so much.’ That is really the spirit of what we try to do at TROY,” Dr. Hawkins said. “We enjoy partnerships in about 30 countries. We have about 130 partnerships around the world. Life is about building relationships and changing lives, and all of you are on the front line of doing that every day. To have an opportunity to partner right here at home is encouraging to us because we know that in Ozark you do a great job.”
Girtman said the partnership will help to provide something his school system and his community greatly needs – quality educators.
“What Ozark needs, as well as other communities around us, is good quality educators. We believe in growing our own,” he said said. “I believe that the best way to keep them is to train them up. If we can train them up in our own schools and our own communities, that is the best way to keep them long-term. To have the partnership and collaboration that has been mentioned not only between Ozark City Schools and Troy University but also with Wallace State Community College will enable us to work together in unison to try to expedite, encourage and incentivize students who want to teach children.”
Dr. Joe Johnson, Chair of TROY’s Department of Teacher Education, said the agreement provides TROY with the opportunity to support the career and technical programs that are being emphasized throughout the state.
“Those programs include education pathways, so high school students that express interest in being teachers can really start to get experience and education toward that career while still in high school,” Dr. Johnson said. “With this dual enrollment agreement, they have the opportunity to take some of the early enrollment courses through TROY so that serves to heighten their awareness and gives them a leg up when they get to TROY and ultimately when they finish their degree.”
Dr. Kerry Palmer, TROY’s Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, said the University traces its roots to teacher preparation.
“This institution was founded in 1887 as a Normal School,” Palmer said of TROY. “By the 1930s, this was recognized as one of the top 10 teacher training programs in the country. It is tremendously important to us that the Wiregrass region of Alabama continues to thrive and grow and that our students, especially when they come from this region, will choose to make their home here when they graduate and pour into the communities that once poured into them. We are very excited about this partnership.”
