Kate Hall has been promoted to director of the Tennessee Grow Your Own Center.
Since joining the center in 2022, Hall has played a vital role in advancing its mission to end teacher shortages in Tennessee. She began as a regional manager before serving as associate director, consistently demonstrating her leadership, expertise and commitment to strengthening the state’s educator pipeline.
During her time with the center, Hall led the launch of the Teaching as a Profession pilot program. In partnership with the Tennessee Department of Education, the initiative selected seven school districts to participate in the state-certified apprenticeship pilot, designed to prepare aspiring educators with the tools, knowledge and experience needed to excel in their careers. The program established a teacher talent pipeline through partnerships between local high schools and community colleges, ensuring a steady stream of highly qualified teaching candidates.
Additionally, Hall spearheaded three Aspiring Apprentice Conferences, bringing together leaders of Grow Your Own programs from school districts, charter schools, higher education institutions, workforce boards and state agencies. These first-of-their-kind convenings facilitated collaboration, shared best practices and provided technical assistance to advance teacher apprenticeship initiatives statewide.
In her new role, Hall will continue to lead the center in its mission to strengthen K-12 education by expanding apprenticeship pathways, fostering strong local partnerships and ensuring all Tennessee learners have access to highly qualified educators. Her deep understanding of the educator pipeline, paired with her innovative and collaborative approach, will ensure the Tennessee Grow Your Own Center remains a national model for addressing teacher shortages.
Hall brings a wealth of experience to the role. She holds a doctoral degree in educational leadership, a master’s degree in reading education and has extensive experience in K-12 education. Before joining the center, she served as senior specialist at the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, associate principal in Kingsport City Schools and Read to be Ready coach consultant for the Tennessee Department of Education. Her career began in the classroom as a kindergarten and first-grade teacher at Kingsport City Schools.
Erin Crisp, former executive director of the Tennessee Grow Your Own Center, has been promoted into a new role as associate vice president for learner success and workforce pathways at the University of Tennessee System. Crisp’s leadership laid a strong foundation for the center’s success, ensuring its continued growth and impact across the state.
Under Hall’s leadership, the Tennessee Grow Your Own Center is poised to build on its success, driving innovation and partnerships that will shape the future of education in Tennessee for years to come.