Washington County School officials and a new program instructor described growth and early employment results from a two-year Teachers for Tomorrow and early-childhood education program housed at the EO building.

Catherine Litton, the program instructor, said she was hired to "build this plane as I was flying it," describing a newly established two-year course that provides dual-enrollment credit through Virginia Highlands Community College and hands-on experience in a local childcare center. "Last year, as a brand new program, I had 10 students enrolled, and this year, I have 16," Litton said.

Litton described program components including lesson planning, read-aloud practice, rotating observations across age groups in a partner childcare center, and certification elements. She said first-year students complete the coursework required to be hired in a childcare center and are CPR- and first-aid-certified.

Former students attending the meeting reported employment outcomes. One student, Gracie Blevins, told the board she is now employed at a local childcare center and is applying classroom learning on the job: "I'm using the things we're doing in this class at my job," she said.

Board members and staff praised the program as a pipeline for early-career childcare workers and future teachers; they discussed possible retention strategies such as targeted signing bonuses for candidates produced by district programs so graduates stay in Washington County rather than being recruited elsewhere.