April 20, 2026
By CORY ANN MICHEL
Rutherford County Schools
Rutherford County School’s Teach Now program in science has been identified as one of the top five in the state by the Tennessee State Board of Education in their annual Educator Preparation Report Card.
Teach Now is an education preparation provider program for individuals with industry background who wish to become licensed classroom teachers. The program provides a cohort-based learning environment designed to transition these adults into teaching professionals gradually.
Each year the TSBOE collects and releases data on EPPs that train the greatest number of new teachers in subject areas with high teacher vacancy rates over a three-year period. The key areas of high demand for teachers include Early Childhood Education, English as a Second Language, Secondary Math, Secondary Science, Special Education and World Languages.
The data is analyzed by the Tennessee Department of Education and solely includes teachers earning their initial licensure. The newly released data covers the school years between 2021 and 2024.