The Pennsylvania Department of Education announced that $1.5 million in grant funding is available to institutions of higher education (IHE) that partner with school districts to expedite the process to become a special education teacher.
“As we work to create a pipeline of high-quality educators in the Commonwealth, it is critical that we create partnerships to support schools and today’s learners,” said Acting Secretary of Education Dr. Khalid N. Mumin. “This grant funding will enable schools to meet their unique staffing needs and provide more opportunities for flexible, accelerated certification for prospective educators.”
Pennsylvania is facing a major shortage of educators across the state. A decade ago, roughly 20,000 teacher certifications were issued each year, while in 2021 only about 6,000 were issued.
Through the Accelerated Program for PK-12 Special Education Teacher Certification, grants are available to colleges and universities with approved PK-12 special education certification programs to partner with
