A Vision for Tomorrow

A Vision for Tomorrow

Special education degree helps meet community needs

This summer, the South Carolina Department of Education granted approval for PC to offer a special education degree, an academic offering that helps address a critical need locally and statewide.

Students can begin earning a Bachelor of Science in special education as early as this fall. The degree allows students to receive teaching certification in up to three areas. Students can become certified in multi-categorical, severe disabilities and elementary education.

“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

2008, when the program was last offered, PC's education department trained many teachers who have served special needs children in the classrooms. Re-establishing this major comes at a significant time of need for special education teachers.

Last academic year was Jones’ first at PC, and she’s called her experience at the College “marvelous,” welcoming and positive. Jones joined PC from Myrtle Beach, S.C. She has taught at Coastal 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.” •

Alumni Contribute to Scholarship for Elementary Education Students

Tommy ’81 and Brenda ’78 Parrish contributed $20,000 to the Dottie Brandt Scholarship Fund 21 years after establishing the fund in honor of Brenda’s mentor in the education department. The donation is a testament to the direction the department is heading.

“Dr. Brandt was instrumental in allowing me to have a career that I loved for more than 30 years,” Brenda said. “She was a hard but fair and compassionate professor who cared about us, not just as students, but as people.”

Each year, the Dottie Brandt Scholarship is awarded to a junior or senior majoring in elementary education. Brandt helped develop the elementary education program when she arrived at PC in 1967. She was named the Charles A. Dana Professor of Education five years later and received the Alumni Distinguished Teaching Award and the Board of Visitors Outstanding Service Award during her illustrious 31-year career as a member of the PC faculty.