TACKLING BPS TEACHER SHORTAGE
The college started two new Bachelor ’ s Degree tracks in Education to help tackle a shortage of science teachers in grades 5-12 in Brevard Public Schools .
The two programs are :
• Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry Education , grades 6-12 .
• Bachelor of Science Degree in Middle School Science Teacher , grades 5-9 .
• In 2021 , EFSC began another education program in conjunction with BPS : Bachelor of Science Degree , Biology Teacher , grades 6-12 .
• The two new programs will begin in the Spring Term that starts in January 2023 .
• All three education degrees are the result of a close partnership between the college and BPS to create a steady stream of new teachers to replace growing numbers who are retiring or leaving the profession .
• Districtwide , BPS officials say they need new science teachers annually .
• “ Historically , Brevard Public School students have outperformed other Florida students when it comes to science ,” said Russell Bruhn . BPS ’ s Chief Strategic Communications Officer , Government and Community Relations .
• “ In order to keep our science success going , we need to recruit and retain the best and brightest educators . We are always looking for new ways to recruit new teachers into BPS and these new EFSC programs will help us immensely .”
• Dr . Jim Richey said the education degrees are another example of how the college is meeting local workforce needs with programs in a range of fields including healthcare , high-technology and advanced manufacturing .
• “ The college and BPS are working hand-in-hand to provide a high-quality education to the Space Coast . The two new education degrees are very important , and we believe they ’ ll will make a real difference in BPS classrooms ,” said Richey .
• The coursework for all three education degrees includes an internship and other hands-on teaching opportunities in middle or high school classrooms , which require passing a BPS background check .
• Applicants must meet several requirements as part of the admissions process . They include :
• An Associate Degree from a regionally accredited college and all required general education courses and common program prerequisite requirements .
• A Grade Point Average of 2.5 or higher on a 4-point scale as reflected on the official degree transcript .
The two new programs bring the total number of Bachelor ’ s Degree tracks offered at EFSC to 27 . The other tracks are in Business , Healthcare and Computer Technologies .