Volume 116, Issue 20
the VISTA “Our Words, Your Voice.”
ucentralmedia.com vistanews1903 @thevista1903 @thevista1903 The Vista
Monday, August 20, 2018
Welcome Back Bronchos
A red Crepe Myrtle blooms in front of Old North, the first building built at what would eventually become the University of Central Oklahoma, frames the famous clocktower. Old North is not only a part of the university’s history, but a recognizable symbol of UCO. (Regan Rosson/The Vista)
Decline in Teacher Program Hits Central Katie Standlee
@katiestandlee Managing Editor
The Educator Preparation Program has declined by about 20 percent over the last five years at the University of Central Oklahoma, which may be an effect of the overall education struggles faced by some institutions throughout the state. James Machell, dean of UCO's College of Education and Professional Studies, said this decline is caused by a mix of things: lack of
funding, depressed salaries, small classrooms and overall lack of funding for supplies. He said it may also be caused by teachers feeling like they are not respected. “Teachers feel like they are not treated with the respect they deserve in the important role they play in preparing their students for life in careers, and again that may or may not be accurate, but we equate how we are valued based off of how we are treated and how we are paid,” Machell said. “It’s really the funding shortage combined with the perceived lack of respect.”
From 2012 to 2016, the education program declined about 20 percent from 1,580 majors to 1,321 majors, according to the 2016-17 UCO Factbook. The most recent Factbook has not yet been released, but should be released by the end of the month, according to Machell. “[The decline is] going to cause the state to have to find more alternatively and emergency certified teachers, because there aren’t going to be enough graduates from our traditional programs to fill the needs of all the new teachers that are needed,” Machell said.
There currently isn’t data released to show how the teacher preparation program has affected emergency and alternative certification, but Machell said the Oklahoma State Department of Education is working on a study to see the effects of this. Last April the legislature appropriated additional funds to teachers, resulting in about a $6,000 salary increase. This is what Machell said is going to have a positive impact on the teacher preparation decline.
Continued on pg. 5