Grant Prompts Future Special Ed Teachers to Enroll in UNH Training Program

DURHAM N.H.
Thanks to several federal grants, New
Hampshire soon may be seeing more special education
teachers.

In the past two years, no one enrolled in a UNH
program to train teachers for students with intellectual and developmental
disabilities. But the school has recently received applications from six
students for this fall and says another six say they plan to apply.

Cheryl Jorgensen, assistant research professor at UNH’s
Institute on Disability, is hoping 20 people will start its two-year program in
the fall. Under a federal grant, 40 students in the program will get free
tuition.

Funded by $2.4 million in grants over four years, UNH
plans to offer reduced or free tuition to 120 students looking to pursue or
expand careers as special-education teachers.

“That’s wonderful,” said Judith Fillion of the
state Department of Education. “This is no different than corporations
offering bonus pay” or paying employees to go back to school.

New Hampshire has been in need of special-education teachers
at least as far back as 1984.