Education Policy, Business and Technology

McAuliffe wants option of undergraduate teaching degree to address shortage

Richmond Times-Dispatch: Gov. Terry McAuliffe wants Virginia colleges and universities to offer the option of an undergraduate degree in teaching — rather than only a master’s program — to help fill what he calls “a severe and growing shortage of qualified teachers.”

McAuliffe signed an executive order Monday that directs the Virginia Board of Education to adopt emergency regulations to allow institutions to confer undergraduate majors in education for teachers.

Currently in Virginia, the majority of prospective teachers have a master’s degree, but teachers can still go into the profession with just a bachelor’s degree, according to the state education department. An undergraduate student from Hampton University, for example, can teach up to 6th grade, but cannot teach 6-12 English. Those teachers are required to first complete a bachelor’s in a specific subject area before often having a fifth year of school.

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