Teacher Recruitment and Retention focus of new UE program

The University of Evansville School of Education has announced plans for new Teacher Recruitment and Retention Programs, beginning in Fall 2016. The new programs are aimed at increasing the number of students earning a teaching certificates and licenses and increasing retention among new teachers in the schools to help supply the ever-increasing need for effective teachers in K-12 schools.

According to Paul Parkison, chair of UE’s School of Education, studies from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics report a national trend indicating a dramatic decline in enrollments in teacher preparation programs. This when combined with the projected 17% increase in demand for teachers shows a picture of an emerging crisis in K-12 education.

“The School of Education is committed to its ongoing mission of preparing tomorrow’s teachers to be successful in their own classrooms,” said Parkison, “and this program indentifies several important ways to ensure we continue to do just that.”

The program includes plans to recruit high-quality candidates from diverse backgrounds and in high-need academic areas to meet current and future employment and civic needs. The program will employ a multi-strategy approach:

1. The UE Teaching Fellows Program will identify candidates who want to teach in underrepresented areas. These individuals will be eligible for scholarships and loan forgiveness programs their junior and senior years in order to support tuition costs. The program will provide mentoring and academic support for these individuals to ensure program completion and teacher certification.
2. The UE Transition to Teaching Program will help individuals who hold degrees in high need content areas (such as STEM) to become classroom teachers. This will be a remarkably affordable way for local professionals interested in pursuing a teaching credential to do so.
3. Degree Pathway Collaboration with Ivy Tech will allow students with an associate’s degree to enroll at UE in order to complete their bachelor’s degree and Indiana state teacher licensing in elementary and secondary education.
4. Novice Teacher Induction and Mentoring Program will improve the performance and retention of new hires to enhance their skills and prevent the loss of new teachers.

“This program will be a great benefit to the community as well as to the University of Evansville,” said UE president Thomas A. Kazee. “The fruits of this program will be realized when schools in the region are able to satisfy the increasing demand for high-quality educators.”

“The University of Evansville is committed to meeting the needs of K-12 education and meeting the need for placing an effective teacher in every classroom,” said Parkison. “Our continued collaboration with our K-12 partners is critical to the success of this effort.”

The UE Teacher Recruitment and Retention program is being implemented with recruitment under way for the summer and fall 2016 terms.