Shapiro Administration Visits Educator Preparation Program at Penn State Harrisburg, Highlights Investments to Bolster the Teacher Pipeline in PA

Harrisburg, PA - Today, Secretary of Education Dr. Khalid N. Mumin joined students, faculty, staff, local superintendents, and others at Penn State Harrisburg to highlight the importance of teacher preparation programs and the Shapiro Administration's investments to strengthen the pipeline of qualified, well-trained teachers in Pennsylvania.

"As students across the Commonwealth return to classrooms and schools for another year of learning and growing, we recognize the challenges that teacher shortages cause for our educators and in our classrooms. The Shapiro Administration is committed to bolstering the educator pipeline and ensuring our teachers, administrators, faculty, and staff have the tools and resources they need to help our students succeed," said Secretary Mumin. "As a former classroom teacher myself, I know that a new school year brings many feelings of excitement, but also can be nerve-wracking, especially for new teachers. I am thrilled to join students at Penn State Harrisburg today to learn how they are preparing for their future careers as world-class educators in Pennsylvania."

The Department of Education (PDE) has been making great strides to increase the number of highly-qualified, highly educated individuals in Pennsylvania's classrooms. Efforts and initiatives the department has taken on include reducing certification wait times by more than 10 weeks, announced $1.5 million in special education grant funding to support and grow the special education teacher workforce, announced grant funding to help paraprofessionals earn special education teaching credentials, developed the Teach in PA website to help recruit and retain more teachers in the Commonwealth, partnered with the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) to release the PA Student teacher stipend program, added a career and technical education (CTE) program of study for students to become educators, and continues to meet regularly with stakeholders and develop policies that continue to support the work of the department and the Educator Workforce Strategy unveiled in 2022. The bipartisan 2024-25 budget signed into law by Governor Shapiro doubled the funding available for student teacher stipends this year.

Across the country, schools are facing growing teacher shortages in classrooms. Compared to ten years ago when Pennsylvania certified approximately 20,000 new teachers every year, in 2023 Pennsylvania certified just over 5,000 new teachers. The Commonwealth also has thousands of teacher vacancies in schools across the state.

Penn State Harrisburg's courses of study offered include undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as numerous programs to prepare students for certification in Pennsylvania. Programs offered are accredited by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation, as well as other accreditation organizations. All certification programs, endorsements, and certificates are approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Specific programs are also recognized by other accrediting bodies, including the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM).

"We are honored to welcome back our distinguished alumnus Pennsylvania Secretary of Education, Khalid Mumin, to Penn State Harrisburg," said Penn State Harrisburg Chancellor and Dean David Callejo Peréz. "It is a privilege to share how our dedicated faculty and staff are working together to prepare the next generation of professional educators, as well as address the critical teacher shortages in Pennsylvania in partnership with our school districts." Callejo continued, "Through inspired and innovative teaching, learning, and scholarship, our programs teach future educators to succeed in a diverse and ever-evolving educational landscape."

The Shapiro Administration believes that every Pennsylvanian deserves the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed. That's why the Administration fought for a budget that creates real opportunity for students who choose to pursue a higher education and makes postsecondary education more accessible and affordable to Pennsylvanians, with a $35.1 million increase for Pennsylvania State System universities, a $15.7 million increase for community colleges, and an additional $143 million to PHEAA to make college more affordable for PA students.

For more information on the Pennsylvania Department of Education, please visit the website or follow PDE on FacebookOpens In A New Window, TwitterOpens In A New Window, YouTubeOpens In A New Window, or PinterestOpens In A New Window.

MEDIA CONTACT: Erin James, [email protected]

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