Harrisburg – More highly-qualified teachers are entering Pennsylvania schools with the skills and professional experience they need to help all K-12 learners succeed in the classroom and beyond – a key priority of Governor Josh Shapiro’s strategic plan to strengthen the Commonwealth’s pipeline of qualified K-12 educators.
Since the 2021-22 school year, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has seen a steady increase in the number of Instructional I certificates issued every year.
These improvements are the result of the Shapiro Administration’s efforts to recruit and retain teachers by working collaboratively with leaders in the education field on a growing list of strategic initiatives. For example, this summer, a second group of students are set to begin summer coursework to become certified special education teachers in Pennsylvania through PDE’s Accelerated Special Education Teacher Certification Program. Enrolled at 14 colleges and universities throughout the Commonwealth, 110 students are on track to obtain their teaching certification by December 2026.
Earlier this year, the first cohort of 142 students successfully completed the accelerated program, graduating with specialized skills to support students with disabilities and help them thrive in the classroom and beyond.
“Every student in Pennsylvania deserves a qualified, caring teacher in their classroom — and that starts with building strong, sustainable pathways into the profession,” said Acting Secretary of Education Dr. Carrie Rowe. “Through innovative programs like the Accelerated Special Education Teacher Certification Program and new teacher apprenticeships, we’re addressing educator shortages head-on and ensuring our schools are staffed with the skilled professionals our students need to learn, grow, and succeed.”
PDE issued a total of 6,612 in-state and out-of-state Instructional 1 certificates in 2023-24. The Act 82 Report compiled and published each year by PDE also showed an increase of 793 newly certified PK-4 educators, 85 more health and physical PK-12 educators, and 762 PK-12 special educators over the past two years.
To tackle Pennsylvania’s teacher shortage, the Shapiro Administration has:
- Reduced teacher certification processing times by more than 10 weeks
- Made intern certificates free to aspiring educators: Intern certificates are an alternative to emergency permits and provide new teachers with both mentorship and a pathway to a highly valuable permanent teaching credential. Individuals with an intern certificate have passed the content test demonstrating that they have the knowledge to teach in a content area and must only complete their professional core education work and student teaching before becoming fully certified. Rather than re-applying every year for emergency certifications, interns have three-year certificates, giving them the chance to complete their student teaching while working and getting paid as a teacher of record. PDE has approved 44 additional intern preparation programs in the past 14 months and is on track to issue more intern certificates this year than last year.
- Created a new Career and Technical Education (CTE) program in Education for high school students: The new Career and Technical Education (CTE) program in Education for high school students has also shown promise in helping students earn industry recognized credentials prior to graduating high school. Since launching two years ago, 30 public schools representing 19 counties have received PDE approval to offer the CTE program in Education. Three additional schools are seeking approval. Currently, 19 of the programs have partnered with local colleges or universities to offer dual credit agreements. These partnerships include five local community colleges, three private universities and the Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania.
- Created and expanded the Student Teacher Support Program to provide a stipend to student teachers: The Student Teacher Support Program – administered by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency – provides stipends to eligible student teachers in Pennsylvania to ensure student teachers are compensated for their hard work. Student teaching is a fulltime job – one that typically keeps student teachers from working another paid job – and the stipend program lowers a barrier to entry into teaching for students who would otherwise struggle to afford to student teach. This year, student teacher stipends supported more than 2,000 student teachers in Pennsylvania. In his 2025-26 budget proposal, Governor Shapiro is proposing to double funding for the Student Teacher Support Program by $20 million, for a total of $40 million.
- Made it easier for Pennsylvanians to find jobs in education: Last month, PDE launched the newly refreshed Teach in PA website to help individuals interested in obtaining a career in education more easily find relevant job opportunities.
- Launched a first-of-its-kind teacher apprenticeship program partnership: Through a partnership between the departments of Education and Labor & Industry (L&I), the Shapiro Administration recently announced a $7.76 million investment in grants to 16 organizations throughout Pennsylvania to start their own earn-as-you-learn teacher apprenticeship programs.
“The Shapiro Administration is committed to taking the necessary steps to address the teacher shortage crisis impacting Pennsylvania schools. This new apprenticeship program is an innovative way to support the educator workforce, and ultimately ensure students across the Commonwealth have the leaders in the classroom they need to succeed,” said L&I Secretary Nancy A. Walker. “By making investments like this one, we’ll be able to build a pipeline of skilled, committed educators ready to step into meaningful, family-sustaining careers.”
Many of the new apprenticeship programs will focus on special education teachers in particular. For example:
- Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit 16 will establish a PK–12 special education teacher apprenticeship to provide mentorship, on-the-job training, and certification to 18 apprentices across 13 counties.
- Chester County Intermediate Unit 24 will expand its post-baccalaureate special education apprenticeship program across high-need districts, providing accessible certification and mentorship opportunities for 20 apprentices.
- Bucks County Intermediate Unit 22 will train five paraprofessionals as apprentices for special education certification, combining online and hybrid coursework with on-the-job training.
- The School District of Philadelphia will develop a grow-your-own teacher pipeline in special education and core subjects, tapping into its existing workforce of paraprofessionals. The school district expects to train 14 apprentices.