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City University Launches New Programs to Help Growing Teacher Shortage

Posted on: Wednesday, 25 January 2006, 09:00 CST

Recognizing the urgent statewide and national need for educators with dedicated training in special education and diversity, City University has unveiled two new Master's programs: Master of Education (M.Ed.) -- Literacy for the Diverse Classroom, and Master in Teaching (M.I.T.) with K-12 Special Education Endorsement.

According to the 2004 Educator Supply and Demand Report from the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, (OSPI) there is a 58% shortage of educators in areas including early childhood special education, bilingual education and English as a second language, physics, chemistry, and mathematics. The shortage doesn't end in Washington State; there is a nationwide need for teachers with these specializations.

"A historic turnover is taking place in the teaching profession, which has reached crisis proportions. While student enrollments are rising rapidly, more than a million veteran teachers are nearing retirement. Experts predict that overall we will need more than two million new teachers in the next decade," comments Jeff Schneider, National Education Association.

Schneider continues, "This shortage will be especially acute in such subjects as: special education, early childhood education, bilingual education, mathematics and science. It is, however, not enough, that teachers know the subject that they are teaching. They must also have the knowledge and skills to work, as part of a total school community, on the core elements of school effectiveness and continuous improvement. All future graduate programs, in education, must provide their students with a combination of academic skills and the ability to make schools into quality organizations."

To provide a program that meets these new requirements for teachers and fits within the busy lifestyles of working adults, City University is offering the M.Ed. -- Literacy for the Diverse Classroom program as a fully online cohort. The 49 credit program provides adults, working toward their Master's degree, the opportunity to attain their degree from anywhere in the world.

"This program is unique," says City University Program Developer Dee Bayne. "It integrates cultural proficiency, the best of literacy strategies, leadership opportunities, and ways to reach an increasingly diverse student population.

The Master in Teaching with K-12 Special Education Endorsement is unique in Washington, in that students are placed in the classroom during the first quarter of their studies and throughout the program. The field-based practical experience internships allow students to apply their textbook knowledge, in a hands-on environment, at the onset of their coursework. With an increasing need for Special Education teachers, over 90% are immediately placed into the schools upon the completion of the program, with over 80% placed within the school districts where they interned.

"Special Education has shaped my son's world. If it wasn't for the Special Education programs and teachers, he wouldn't have developed into the person he is," comments Cindy Benezra, parent of a 13-year-old Special Education student at Highland Middle School in Bellevue, Wash. "My son's teachers are angels on earth, so specialized and educated in what they do. I don't know what I would do without them. They give 100% and have provided me with an unbelievable support system."

"City University's Albright School of Education has become a leader in Washington State, because it is responsive to the needs of the school districts and the students it serves," said Dr. Fernando Leon Garcia, Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs, City University. "These two new programs respond to the nationwide need to address the achievement gap for students with disabilities, students learning English, and those who struggle in our schools. Candidates have the opportunity to learn effective teaching and leadership strategies in increasingly complex and diverse environments."

Enrollments for both programs are now open. The first cohort in the M.Ed. -- Literacy for the Diverse Classroom will start online this spring, as will the first classes in the one-year, full-time, intensive M.I.T. -- Teaching with K-12 Special Education Endorsement at City University's Everett, Wash., campus. The two-year, part-time program begins next fall at the Bellevue, Wash campus.

About City University:

City University is a private not-for-profit institution with three schools fully accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities: The School of Management, The Gordon Albright School of Education, and The School of Arts and Sciences. With over 12,000 students and 39,000 alumni worldwide, City University is located in the Pacific Northwest with classes offered at locations throughout Washington, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, Slovakia, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, the Czech Republic, and China.

Source: Business Wire

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