Georgia Southern’s College of Education meeting USG goal to double number, diversity of teachers

November 14, 2007

In January 2005, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia adopted a bold plan to double the number and diversity of teachers it prepares by 2010. A USG report released recently demonstrates that after two years, Georgia Southern University is doing its part to achieve the goals set under that plan.

‘Georgia Southern is meeting its ‘double-double’ goal (double the number, double the diversity) through both traditional and non-traditional delivery of programs,” said Cindi Chance, dean of the College of Education. ‘Through classes offered on-campus, classes offered at off-campus sites such as Augusta, Savannah, and Brunswick, on through on-line classes, our faculty has stepped up to meet the teacher preparation needs of Georgia’s schools.”

According to the Regents’ report, the number of new teachers prepared across the USG system has increased 21.1 percent since 2004. At Georgia Southern, the number of new teachers prepared rose from 237 in 2004-05 to 306 in 2005-06, an increase of 29 percent.

The Regents’ report indicates that the number of new minority teachers prepared by the system since 2004 rose by 13.3 percent. At Georgia Southern, the number of new minority teachers rose from 30 in 2004-05 to 50 in 2005-2006, an increase of 66.6 percent.

‘One important highlight of the Regents’ report is that 95.3 percent of all teachers prepared by the USG system remained in the public education workforce for at least one year,” said Chance. ‘Keeping both new teachers and experienced teachers in the classroom has become an important part of our as a College of Education.”

The College of Education reduces teacher attrition through a variety of partnerships and school improvement initiatives. In addition to partner schools, where clinical associates oversee field placement of pre-service teachers in nearly 60 schools, the College is home to the Georgia Center for Educational Renewal. The Center addresses challenges commonly encountered by school leaders and teachers in Georgia, throughout the U.S. and internationally, and it seeks avenues for teacher success and enhanced student learning.

‘We are also here to support teachers as they move from initial to accomplished to exemplary teaching as delineated by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission,” said Chance. ‘We offer preparation for advanced teaching, educational leadership, and school counselor programs through classes that are convenient for working teachers.”

For more information about teacher preparation at Georgia Southern University, visit the College of Education Web site at http://coe.georgiasouthern.edu/ or call 912-681-5648.