School of Education
New Path for Teachers
Elementary education students can begin UD degree in Wilmington
For students whose dream is to become an elementary or middle school teacher, the University of Delaware’s Associate in Arts Elementary Teacher Education (AAETE) program offers a lot of advantages.
Class sizes are small, professors and advisers provide individual attention, proximity to home can ease the transition from high school to college, and the cost savings are substantial. Successful graduates of the program, which has operated in its current form at the University’s Georgetown campus since 2006, are teaching throughout the state and beyond.
Now, beginning in fall semester of 2019, students will have the opportunity to take part in the same program in northern Delaware.
Teresa Rush, a UD alumna who’s coordinating the program at its new location in Wilmington, has been meeting with high school students in Delaware Teacher Academy programs throughout the area to let them know about the opportunity.
“Students have been incredibly excited about the UD experience, and those who have already decided to pursue a teaching career are especially excited that they’re going to have such a cost-effective way to do this,” Rush said.
Offering the AAETE pathway in northern Delaware as well as in Sussex County is a win-win for students and for the state, David Satran, director of the AAP, said.
“We hope this will help address the teacher shortage in Delaware schools by growing the pool of AAP students who will come to Newark as ETE majors,” he said. “It’s also a strategic effort to diversify the pool of students pursuing education degrees.”