House Bill 1175 - Grow Your Own Teacher Education Act

• Establishes statewide pilot initiative to prepare teachers committed to teaching in hard-to-staff schools and positions, with focus on recruiting from para educators, parents, and community leaders in low-income areas.

• Creates grant competition administered by Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning to fund consortia composed of at least one four-year institution, school district(s), and community organizations.

• Requires each consortium to offer Teacher Academy pathway allowing qualifying high school seniors to complete first two years on university campus and final two years in home districts through online instruction, with first-year tuition and room/board covered.

• Implements forgivable loan program covering tuition, books, and fees exceeding grants-in-aid; loans fully forgiven upon three years of service in hard-to-staff schools or teaching positions.

• Modifies education funding formula to include students participating in Teacher Academy and Grow Your Own programs in average daily attendance calculations for state funding purposes.