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Blue Ridge Community College student Stephanie Burgos reads to a classroom of children. (Photo by Rich Keen, Marketing & Communications Dept.)
This article was first published in the 2022-2023 Annual Report.
When the 2022-23 school year began, there were over 5,000 teaching vacancies across the state. North Carolina kids needed more trained teachers, and quickly.
To help ease the ongoing teacher shortage, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction collaborated with the North Carolina Community College System to develop Cultivating Carolina Classrooms, a program designed to streamline and simplify the teaching licensure process.
Blue Ridge Community College was one of seven community colleges approved as an Educator Preparation Program participant when Cultivating Carolina Classrooms began. In the fall of 2023, Blue Ridge launched its Elementary Education Residency program, making a teaching license quickly attainable for bachelor’s degree graduates aspiring to become educators.
Placing this program at approved community colleges in North Carolina makes obtaining teacher licensing more affordable and convenient. It paves the way for placing highly qualified teachers in classrooms, especially individuals who graduate from college and later decide to pursue a career in education.
The 18-credit program requires aspiring educators to take one or two courses a semester over a two-year period, making the credential accessible for those working full time. And that means more trained teachers in our schools so North Carolina kids receive the education they deserve.
“This licensure program is key to filling teacher vacancies in our community,” said Blue Ridge’s Vice President for Instruction Kathy Allen. “Teachers who complete our program will be fully prepared for the classrooms. This preparation will give them the confidence and motivation to invest in a teaching career for many years.”
Learn more about education programs and opportunities at www.blueridge.edu/education.