Point Park University, BloomBoard partnership takes on PA teacher shortage with innovative degree program
Summary
This unique instructional model will allow participants to earn degree credit while they work in actual classrooms, making higher education more accessible to community members within districts and affordable to aspiring teachers who have faced barriers in a traditional system. In the 2022-23 school year, a record number of 9,587 Pennsylvania teachers chose to leave their positions, as reported in a May 2023 study by the Penn State Center for Education Evaluation and Policy Analysis. This surge in departures led to a 1.5 percent increase in the attrition rate compared to the previous school year, marking the most significant rise observed over the past decade. Dr. Andria Saia, executive director of the Harrisburg-areas Capital Area Intermediate Unit 15, who has been a champion in finding solutions to bolster the states teacher pipeline, shared, "There is so much demand for the programs that will quickly stem from the BloomBoard-Point Park University partnership. "By forging strong collaborations with partners like Point Park, we aim to begin breaking down the barriers to educator advancement and building a more diverse and well-equipped teacher workforce for the future of children across the state."