3 days ago
Alvernia University gets PA grant to help combat special education teacher shortage
Alvernia University has received a state grant aimed at addressing the ongoing shortage of special education teachers in Pennsylvania.
The Reading school has been awarded $100,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Bureau of Special Education as part of its Accelerated Special Educator Certification Program.
The funding helps pay for summer field experiences, year-round mentoring and coaching from experienced special educators, as well as an accelerated post-baccalaureate program that enables participants to earn pre-K to 12th grade special education certification within 18 months.
The program includes virtual instruction for working professionals and requires a minimum of 12 weeks of student teaching, ensuring participants gain hands-on experience in the classroom while maintaining full-time employment.
'This program exemplifies our mission to serve graduate and adult learners with flexible, impactful credentials,' Dr. Gaetan T. Giannini, Alvernia's vice president for graduate and adult education, said in a statement announcing the grant. 'We are enabling working professionals to become certified special educators without pausing their careers.'
Alvernia has participated in the program for the past two years. And for that entire span it has partnered with the Chester County Intermediate Unit.
'The partnership between the CCIU and Alvernia University has been successful in addressing the critical shortage of special education teachers across our region,' said Danielle Hawkins, CCIU's assistant director of human resources. 'The accelerated certification program provides our educators with a clear, accessible pathway to expand their qualifications while continuing their important work supporting children in the classroom.
'We're seeing firsthand how this collaboration strengthens not only individual teaching careers but also the quality of specialized instruction we provide to our students with diverse learning needs. This partnership is an example of what is possible when educational institutions work together with a shared commitment to excellence and opportunity.'
So far, Alvernia has seen more than 60 educators enroll in the program, and expects another 30 to enroll in each upcoming academic module, which begin every seven weeks.
The program is housed within Alvernia's College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences and offers undergraduate, graduate and certificate tracks with online and hybrid delivery formats.
For more information on the Accelerated Special Education Certification program visit
