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September 26, 2024

Fairfield U offers new major for teachers aimed at addressing national shortage

Contributed Fairfield University

Fairfield University is launching a new four-year undergraduate program in curriculum and instruction in response to the nation’s critical need for highly trained educators, the school announced Thursday.

Offered through Fairfield’s School of Education and Human Development, students in the program can pursue either elementary or special education.

Concurrently, the SEHD has reformatted Fairfield’s four-year track for secondary education, allowing those pursuing careers as middle school and high school teachers to also become certified in four years.

This new major is aimed at addressing the critical teacher shortage crisis by preparing students to serve in the field of education in a timely and sensitive manner, university officials said.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 86% of K-12 public schools in the U.S. reported challenges hiring teachers for the 2023-24 school year, and 45% reported they feel their school is understaffed, down from 53% for the prior academic year 2022-23.

Alyson Martin, director of the curriculum and instruction program, said “Teacher shortages across the country are at an all-time high. We aim to prepare enthusiastic and well-trained educators to fulfill these critical positions and begin to address the teacher shortage crisis.”

The program was offered as of this fall semester. 

Fairfield University has more than 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students  and offers five schools of study. 
 

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