A Vision for Tomorrow Special education degree helps meet community needs This summer, the South Carolina Department of Education granted
2008, when the program was last offered, PC's education department
approval for PC to offer a special education degree, an academic
trained many teachers who have served special needs children in the
offering that helps address a critical need locally and statewide.
classrooms. Re-establishing this major comes at a significant time of
Students can begin earning a Bachelor of Science in special education
need for special education teachers.
as early as this fall. The degree allows students to receive teaching
Last academic year was Jones’ first at PC, and she’s called her
certification in up to three areas. Students can become certified in
experience at the College “marvelous,” welcoming and positive.
multi-categorical, severe disabilities and elementary education.
Jones joined PC from Myrtle Beach, S.C. She has taught at Coastal
“Students who earn multi-categorical certification can work with Pre-K through 12th-grade students with any type of disability,” said Dr. Patricia Jones, director of PC’s education department. The multi-categorical certification includes teaching and supporting students with autism spectrum disorder, as well as those with emotional, intellectual, learning and severe disabilities. Schools prefer to hire graduates with the multi-categorical certification, according to Jones. The multi-categorical degree is the most user friendly for principals as far as placing teachers in areas of need, the program proposal states. “Superintendents and principals can hire graduates at elementary, middle and high schools and know that graduates can serve the core of their special education population,” Jones said. “We look forward to supplying school systems with high-quality special education teachers who also have the option of teaching in the regular education classroom.” PC is one of only 11 institutions in South Carolina offering this flexible certification. The College’s degree offering also satisfies the hiring and community needs across the state and nationwide. Special education is regarded as a critical need subject area in South Carolina again this year. “PC has a history of meeting the needs of the community, and our special education degree will do just that,” Jones said. In 1968, a special education program was established at PC to meet an urgent need in public schools. For the following 40 years until
21 | PROMISE OF PC
Carolina University and developed multiple education programs at Tennessee Wesleyan University. The overarching goal of the department is to work on certification programs to train highly qualified teachers who remain in their profession, she says. “My impact on education will be to create an education department that is considered a flagship institution in this part of the state. I want education in South Carolina to mean something to the rest of the nation,” said Jones, who serves on South Carolina's Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement Board, as well as on a recruitment and retention committee for the state. “Teachers deserve the best of everything. I want our future teachers to feel they have been trained to teach and be successful in their profession.”
