Dallas College Bachelor's Degree In Early Childhood Education And Teaching Opens Doors While Helping Solve Teacher Shortage

Press release from Dallas College:

August 6, 2021

DALLAS — When the Dallas College School of Education bachelor’s degree program launched last year, it opened a new and exciting pathway to the teaching profession in Dallas County. The first cohort of students enrolled in the Bachelor of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education and Teaching (B.A.S. ECE) program are entering the upper-level courses this fall and in two years will be ready to enter the workforce as early childhood educators or as lead public school teachers teaching students in pre-K, elementary or middle school.

“These first students earning Dallas College bachelor’s degrees will immediately help to meet critical teaching workforce needs across Dallas County — and will do so without incurring huge debt,” said Dr. Robert DeHaas, vice provost of Dallas College School of Education. “Ensuring our future workforce is provided with the opportunity to learn from an exceptional group of classroom educators — educators trained and developed right here in Dallas — will ultimately help solidify the continued growth of our local economy.”

The School of Education’s Early Childhood Education and Teaching program addresses a teacher shortage worsened by the pandemic. Demand for public school teachers in grades K-12 exceeded supply for the first time in 2019, and the trend is expected to continue. Prior to the pandemic, the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that 270,000 primary and secondary education teachers would leave their occupation each year through 2026. The pandemic has elevated those numbers, according to a 2020 National Education Association (NEA) poll of teachers where nearly
one in three said COVID-19 made them more likely to resign or retire early.

The need for Texas elementary and middle school teachers is expected to increase by 11% from 2018 to 2028, with 17,770 projected annual job openings in the state, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The need for preschool teachers in Texas will increase by 14% over that same period, with 4,790 annual job openings.

Meanwhile, fewer students nationwide are completing teacher preparation programs, and experts say that student debt is a big factor. By providing a program at just $79 per credit hour, Dallas College School of Education makes teaching a viable opportunity for more local students who cannot afford to attend a four-year university.

This press release was produced by Dallas College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.