St. John Fisher University is offering a master's residency program in inclusive education for people looking to change careers.
The program aims to help address the deep need for special education teachers in the area, said Allison Bosworth, director of clinical experiences at the university’s School of Education.
The teacher shortage extends beyond the Finger Lakes, to nearly half of all public schools in the country reporting vacancies. Often those vacancies are filled by long-term substitutes and underqualified teachers, according to a recent report from the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
“I would love to see more people come back and consider teaching as a profession,” Bosworth said. “I think it is a perfect thing for people who are career changers or recently graduated and realizing that what they're doing just right now, or maybe what they thought they were going to graduate and do, isn't exactly it.”
The lack of teachers comes as many local school districts, including Rochester and Greece, report an increase in special education enrollment.
“There are multiple things going on that are causing the increase in the number of students being referred for and being found eligible (for special education),” said Dan DeMarle, an education specialist and consultant.
DeMarle attributed the increase to more recognition and social acceptance of autism and dyslexia, as well as to lasting effects of the pandemic on children’s development and, in some cases, to hardship.
“As I say, lots of my kids don't need special education, they need heat in their house, and they need food every day,” DeMarle continued. “If they had food every day and heat in the house, a lot of their behavior issues that they're showing up with won’t be so severe.”
But those challenges are compounded when not met with qualified teachers in the classroom.
“The teacher shortage has serious and far-reaching consequences for students with disabilities,” the federal commission report stated. “These consequences include inadequate educational experiences for students, reduced student achievement, and lower educational attainment levels that negatively impact future employment prospects.”
The commission recommended increasing teacher pay, recruiting qualified teachers through pipeline programs, and fully funding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
The master's program at Fisher is one year and includes a paid classroom placement with a salary of $25,000. Those placements are in Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES, Bloomfield Central School District, Lyons Central School District, North Rose-Wolcott Central School District and the Hilton Central School District.
“Student teaching placement is usually about 16 weeks total for a student teacher,” said Joe Englebert, director of human resources at Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES. “This is a full 10 months embedded in a school system, working with a master teacher, learning to become a teacher while they take courses and work towards certification.”
The model of the program is based on traditional apprenticeships, and Englebert said it's one of several that come from a state initiative through the Department of Labor.
