West Chester, Pa (March 12, 2025) – More Lincoln University students who are interested in careers in special education will have access to accelerated certification programs, state Senator Carolyn Comitta announced today.
Lincoln was one of 14 postsecondary institutions across the Commonwealth awarded more than $1 million in state funding through the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE)’s Accelerated Special Educator Certification Program.
The program, now in its second round, aims to expand accelerated certification programming to prospective special educators – helping Pennsylvania schools train more qualified special educators, faster. This year, PDE announced that it produced its first cohort of 142 new special educators.
“It takes a special kind of person to work in special education,” said Comitta, who serves on the Senate Education Committee. “I’m thrilled to see that this program is working to help college students at Lincoln University and beyond accelerate their careers to meet the growing demand in special ed classrooms across the Commonwealth.”
Under the program, grants are made available to colleges and universities with approved PK-12 special education certification programs to partner with at least one school district, approved private school, career and technical center, charter school, cyber charter school, or intermediate unit to provide individuals who hold bachelor’s degrees with summer field experiences, mentoring, and coaching by experienced special educators during the school year, and deliver a postbaccalaureate program for PK-12 special education teacher certification within 18 months.
Programs are to provide a combination of in-person and virtual options for flexibility and support to the accelerated program participants working full-time and ensure a minimum of 12 weeks of student teaching.
“Pennsylvania’s educator workforce shortage will take flexibility, innovation, and creativity to solve, and initiatives like the Accelerated Special Educator Certification Program demonstrate how thinking outside of the box can produce critical and much-needed results for the Commonwealth,” said Acting Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Dr. Carrie Rowe. “Between the 142 new special educators poised to enter classrooms across Pennsylvania and the hundreds of additional individuals who will also take advantage of this opportunity, we are making real and meaningful progress toward getting more high-quality educators in our schools.”
Lincoln University was awarded $50,000 in state funding in this round of the Accelerated Special Educator Certification Program. In the initial round of funding, both Lincoln and West Chester University were awarded nearly $100,000.
The grant funding is part of an ongoing effort to recruit and retain teachers in the Commonwealth.
The governor’s budget proposal calls for $1.4 billion in funding for K-12 schools, a $5 million increase for student-teacher stipends, and a $50 million increase in special education funding (on top of the $100 million secured last year).
In addition, Comitta, who began her career as a public school teacher in the Octorara School District, is also reintroducing legislation to build a robust teacher pipeline through a Grow Your Own Educator program. The program offers a proven method to recruit and retain educators from within their own communities by developing additional pathways and resources to receive a teaching certification.
As of the 2023-2024 school year, Pennsylvania’s teacher workforce stands at 123,190 educators, with the largest shortages in Grades 4-8, Special Education PK-12, Mathematics 7-12, Life & Physical Sciences 7-12, and Career and Technical Education 7-12. The United States Department of Education has designated these areas as critical shortages, and currently, Pennsylvania needs 1,670 special educators
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