WCU: Tackling the teacher shortage
WCU student teacher Jordan Owens engages first-grade students at Sand Hill Attendance Center in a lesson about planting seeds.
Mississippi’s persistent teacher shortage in K-12 schools is a must-solve problem and William Carey is tackling it with practical, granular outreach.
Among the programs led by Dr. Ben Burnett, dean of the WCU School of Education:
- Leadership academy: Principals with proven success in teacher retention meet at WCU monthly to share strategies and form support systems.
- Alternate route: WCU partners with school districts to provide scholarships and classes to help people who already have bachelor’s degrees earn their teaching certificates.
- Community colleges: WCU teaches education courses at Pearl River Community College, enabling students to complete their bachelor’s degrees on the PRCC campus.
- Tuition help: WCU offers a tuition discount of up to 60 percent to assistant teachers who want to become full-time classroom teachers.
For more information about becoming a teacher, call (601) 318-6299 or visit
WCU School of Education