UC Recruitment Program to Address Shortage of Special Education Teachers

An informational meeting to recruit special education teachers will be held Tuesday, Sept. 4, 6-8 p.m. at the Southwestern Ohio Special Education Regional Resource Center, 1301 Bonnell Street, third floor. Representatives of the University of Cincinnati special education program, College of Education, will be on hand, as well as representatives of the Ohio Department of Education to talk with potential candidates about this professional field.

Ohio is facing a critical shortage of special education teachers and related services personnel, and is one of nine states participating as a pilot site for a federally funded project to increase the pool of special educators. The informational meeting was scheduled because of the overwhelming response in the Cincinnati area to the toll-free hotline of the State Superintendent's Task Force for Preparing Special Education Personnel. Andrea Phillips, project coordinator for the Ohio Special Education Career Connection, says the hotline received over 220 calls in less than two days, following a local television report on the shortage.

"Faculty at the University of Cincinnati welcome this opportunity to find out who is interested in becoming qualified to help students with disabilities learn, and how UC can help prepare them to do so," says Roberta Truax, coordinator for the special education program, UC College of Education.

The UC recruiting session is for candidates with bachelor's degrees. Successful completion of the two-year preparation program will lead to an intervention specialist license and possible eligibility for a master's degree.

The Sept. 4 meeting will provide information on qualifications for college admission, financial aid and the structure of the program.

For more information, call the state toll-free hotline at 888-868-1415.