The OU Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education and Oklahoma City Community College are partnering to create OU Teacher Bound x OCCC, a program aiming to ease the state’s teacher shortage.
OU Teacher Bound x OCCC seeks to grow the number of qualified pre-K through 12th grade teachers in Oklahoma. This partnership provides guidance and support for students working toward the completion of both their associate and bachelor's degrees in education.
In 2023, Oklahoma was ranked 13th in the nation for teacher shortages. A combination of factors have contributed to the shortage such as low salaries, budget cuts and difficult working conditions. At the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, over 1,000 teacher vacancies were reported in the state, leading to over 3,700 emergency teacher certificates issued in 2022.
Both institutions will help students map out their academic plans and connect students to a wide selection of funding sources and student support resources. OCCC students will receive focused advising between OCCC and OU. Students at OCCC will also have access to funding that is currently available to OU students, such as the TEACH Grant and Inspired to Teach programs.
TEACH provides grants up to $4,000 per year to students who intend to teach in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves students from low-income families. Inspired to Teach offers qualified Oklahoma students an opportunity to earn up to $25,500 in scholarships and benefits as they complete their Educator Preparation Program and teach in Oklahoma.
OU has previously implemented programs to aid the growth of certified teachers in Oklahoma, including the Teacher Shortage Employment Incentive Program, the Lew Wentz Debt-Free Teachers Initiative, the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
This story was edited by Peggy Dodd and Anusha Fathepure. Kylie Caldwell and Mary Ann Livingood copy edited this story.
