Sweet Briar Program Aims for More Special-Ed Teachers

Sweet Briar College hopes to help do something about a statewide shortage of special-education teachers after receiving conditional approval to license students. The Virginia Board of Education recently approved a recommendation to grant conditional approval for the college to license special-education teachers through its master of arts in teaching program.

“We’re really excited about that. It took quite a while to accomplish,” said Jim Alouf, director of the college’s graduate programs.

He said the conditional status is likely to be dropped, as recommended by the Advisory Board for Teacher Education and Licensure.

“We’re good to go,” he said. “It just gives our students so many more options, and we have a lot of interest in young women in special education.”

The approval allows students in Sweet Briar’s five-year master of arts in teaching program, starting this fall, to be licensed to teach special ed as an add-on to their liberal studies elementary or secondary licensure.

Students complete five courses – teaching diverse learners, adapting for diverse learners, classroom management, assessment in special education and transition/collaboration in special education. They then spend part of their graduate year teaching in special-ed and inclusive classrooms at the Sweet Briar Campus School or in the Amherst County school system.

“If you’re not out there working with kids, then you’re not going to learn how to be a teacher,” Alouf said.

The college’s relationships with those schools is what led to the creation of the special-education program.

“We’re not a huge program, but anytime we can add to the potential applicant pool, we’re really interested in that,” Alouf said. “We want to help area school districts meet their needs – that’s what we’re here for.”

Christa Desrets is a staff writer for The News & Advance in Lynchburg.

Originally published by DESRETS; Media General News Service.

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