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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; In a move that should help relieve a growing shortage of special education teachers, King&#8217;s College became the first area institution to gain state approval of a new degree program expanding the grades a certified person can teach students with special needs.</p><p>Teacher shortages have plagued local school districts for decades, though until recently it was a problem primarily in high schools, where certifications were often subject-specific. A broader shortage in all grades has been growing with a decline in college students opting for a teaching major, and the dearth has hit special education ranks hardest.</p><p>A recent Education Week report showed there was one special ed teacher for every 17 students with disabilities, while the overall teacher ratio is one for every 16. A lack of teachers can be considerably more pronounced for special education classes because state law restricts the number of students per teacher caseload, depending on the level of student needs. Complicated cases can be restricted to as few as eight students.</p><p>To address the shortfall, Gov. Tom Wolf signed Act 82 last year, changing the grade spans and age levels for special education certification. Currently, the state has two special education certifications, one for pre-kindergarten through grade 8 and another for grades 7 through 12. Under the new law, special education certificates issued after Dec. 31, 2021, will cover Pre-K through 12, or up to age 21 (the maximum age a student can remain in the system).</p><p>While the law pretty much assures most institutions of high education with teacher programs will offer the new certification eventually, King&#8217;s is the first regionally and one of only five state-wide to get state approval for it so far, according to the state Department of Education website. In a media release, King&#8217;s noted it will offer the program immediately &#8220;to current first-year and sophomore education students, meaning they will be among the first in the state to earn the degree following the January, 2022 effective date.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;The statewide shortage of qualified teachers is felt most in special education,&#8221; said Denise Reboli, chair of King&#8217;s department of education. &#8220;The new regulations and resulting programs will begin to address the shortage of special education teachers while at the same time recognizing that special education requires a different set of skills than most people recognize, including the need to instruct in several content areas as well as helping to facilitate the transition from school to adult life&#8221;</p><p>The new certification gives special education teachers more latitude in the content area and grade level they can teach, which should make it more attractive when school districts are looking to hire new faculty, Reboli added. Students will also now have the option in college to double major in one of the three regular education certifications &#8212; Pre-K to grade 4, grades 4 to 8, and secondary education &#8212; and in special education, increasing their flexibility in looking for a job.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mark Guydish</p><p>mguydish@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</p></shirttailMeta></div>

King’s College first locally to offer new special education degree program