As need grows for special ed teachers in SC, CCU gets grant for new training program
A new federally funded Coastal Carolina University program will aim to address a shortage in special education teachers in South Carolina.
The U.S. Office of Special Education Programs recently awarded CCU a five-year grant totaling nearly $1.25 million to train special education teachers serving children with “high-intensity needs,” according to a department news release.
Tuition for participants will be fully funded through the grant, according to Deborah Rooks-Ellis, associate professor of early childhood education at the university. The cost of textbooks, childcare and transportation can also be covered by the funding based on student need, she added.
Rooks-Ellis, who is overseeing the program with Rhonda Miller, associate professor of special education, said the courses will cater to current and future teachers who work with special education students ages 3-8. The program will also prioritize diversity in its classes and those serving rural communities.
The training program is coming at a time of significant need in South Carolina and more locally, Rooks-Ellis said.
Horry County Schools currently has 25 staff openings related to special education, including 15 teacher positions, according to the district’s employment website.
The plan is to use the grant to train two separate classes of 28 current and future teachers, Rooks-Ellis said, with each group training during two consecutive summer semesters. The first class will begin in 2024.
Rooks-Ellis touted the program’s field training, which will occur at Horry, Georgetown and Marion county school districts, and a virtual reality software that will allow participants to work with simulated students in difficult situations before encountering them in the classroom.
