In a three-way collaboration to address a critical teaching shortage, Bucks County Community College (BCCC) has joined Gwynedd Mercy University (GMercyU) and the Bucks County Intermediate Unit (Bucks IU) to launch an apprenticeship program to train and certify pre-K-12 special education teachers.
The program, the first of its kind in the state, enables paraprofessionals employed by the Bucks IU to earn their Pennsylvania special education teaching certification and bachelor’s degree while working full-time. Participants will earn their first 60 credits at the community college and the remaining credits toward a bachelor’s degree at the university. Their on-the-job experience will satisfy field experience requirements, and student teaching will take place within the Bucks IU system.
Credit: Bucks IU
Approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry and the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the program is the only registered baccalaureate apprenticeship in the state focused on special education.
Samantha Gross, Ed.D., dean of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences at BCCC noted that the program helps students both academically and professionally.
“Our students will be able to seamlessly transfer to Gwynedd Mercy while working for the IU,” said Gross. “Fieldwork and observation have always been a part of our education major, and now it will be tied directly to a career path through this apprenticeship program.”
Credit: Gwynedd Mercy U
Gross has been invited by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to take part in a panel discussion about the new program at the state’s Advancing Education Together summit in Harrisburg July 10. She will be joined by colleagues from GMercyU and the Bucks IU in a session about creating a certified teacher registered apprenticeship program.
“This apprenticeship creates a sustainable pipeline for special education teachers by making certification more attainable for individuals already working in our schools,” said Deborah Schadler, Ph.D., coordinator of undergraduate education at GMercyU. “It’s a direct response to the urgent need for qualified special educators and a continuation of our mission to transform lives through education.”
Participants will receive a salary as paraprofessionals, with structured pay increases tied to academic milestones. Eligible students will receive a 10% tuition grant to attend GMercyU as Bucks IU employees and may qualify for additional federal or state financial aid. The GMercyU courses are offered fully online to accommodate the needs of working professionals.
To learn more, email sb@bucks.edu or call 215-968-8270.
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