East Texas college launches new program to address teacher shortage [Video]

ATHENS, Texas (KETK) – Trinity Valley Community College is starting a program to alleviate the ongoing teacher shortage across the nation.

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This year 41,920 teacher positions went unfilled in the U.S., according to the Learning Policy Institute. However, the lack of certified teachers doesn’t mean a lack of people interested.

“I mean it’s hard, we have schools that are hiring their para-educators, that are hiring substitutes just to be in the classroom,” said Suzzette Stringer, TVCC division chair for education. “So I want to make sure we are able to fill that need in all of our school districts with certified teachers.”

Trinity Valley Community College is trying to remedy the issue here in East Texas by adding a state approved bachelor’s degree program focused on education.

“Some of us were teachers ourselves in the K-12 system, and we saw those paraprofessionals and teacher aids and just assistants that helped out in …