UNC TARS and Teacher Preparation

Teacher Recruitment and Retention

The State Improvement Project’s Recruitment and Retention efforts are closely coordinated with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s support services and the Excellent Schools Act and the National Clearinghouse for Professions in Special Education. Visit the National Clearinghouse’s website to review the extensive resources and information on recruitment into the field of special education they are providing. The Recruitment and Retention component of NC SIP II is designed to increase the recruitment of new teachers into the field of special education and the retention of currently employed teachers in the field. Activities to address these needs will be implemented in the following areas:

 (i) Recruitment
 (ii) Certification
 (iii) Retention

Recruitment

Recruitment strategies targets three groups: (a) college graduates with no teacher preparation (i.e., Psychology or Human Development majors), (b) experienced teachers not certified in special education, and (c) new and experienced teachers certified in special education and residing in other states in the United States and in Canada. Across these three groups, the project also places a special emphasis on recruiting individuals with minority backgrounds. The project targets psychology and human development undergraduate majors for lateral entry into special education. These fields traditionally attract bright and highly motivated individuals who are interested in human development and human potential and bring a strong commitment to helping and caring.

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Certification In addition, already trained and certified teachers will be recruited from out-of-state locations and Canada. Over the last several years Canada has had a surplus of teachers. North Carolina has been very successful in recruiting special education teachers from Canada. Recruitment brochures are being developed for each of these groups of individuals and will be available for distribution soon.

As one of the features to attract new and experienced teachers into special education, training stipends will be made available to individuals who make a commitment to becoming teachers of students with disabilities. The scholarship program will be administered by the NCDPI as an integrated component of the department’s comprehensive scholarship program. For information on how to apply for support contact Laura Snyder at (919) 807.3993 or (lsnyder@dpi.state.nc.us).

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Retention

The project’s strategies for increasing the retention of teachers will include the development of a public awareness and appreciation of job stress, the use of a system of community support, and an on-line system of teacher and parent support. Teacher retention efforts will be coordinated with the NCDPI office established to implement the Excellent Schools Act.

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