March 3, 2026
BY CORY ANN MICHEL
Rutherford County Schools
Rutherford County School’s Teach Now program is among 15 EPP’s statewide that have received the highest rating of “Exceeds Expectations” in the 2025 Educator Preparation Report Card from the Tennessee State Board of Education.
Teach Now was implemented in 2020 to reach those who wish to teach but don’t yet hold a teaching license. The program is now under the direction of Janet Flannery who has been with RCS since 2014 and started her role as coordinator of New Teacher Programs and Recruitment in 2023.
“Our team loves what they do, and we stay focused on the mission to prepare job-embedded teachers to have a powerful instructional impact in the classroom by increasing their competence, confidence, and commitment to the field,” Flannery said. “Wanting our teacher candidates to succeed drives every decision we make.”
This program was established to relieve the financial and scheduling restraints many working professionals face. Cohorts meet one night a month to learn from veteran educators and are given unique access to various school leaders and specialists. The program is designed to transition students into the teaching profession gradually while tailoring the experience to fit within their content specific needs.
To apply for academic classroom positions, candidates must first have a confirmed teaching position within RCS and a bachelor’s degree. For candidates wanting to apply for occupational career or career and technical classrooms, they must provide affiliated work experience and industry certification for their field of study.
You can learn more about Teach Now here: Rutherford Teach Now - Human Resources - Rutherford County Schools