By SHANNON NESSERALLA, Senior Reporter
An Oklahoma college has shut its doors to its education program for the spring semester.
Oklahoma City University has suspended its early childhood and elementary education program for the upcoming semester because of a lack of enrollment, according to KOCO News 5.
School officials said low teacher pay and the pandemic were causes of the decline in enrollment. Some of its class sizes went from having 12 students to two. The school will focus on its graduating specialists and secondary educators.
The situation is different at Northwestern, which is known for its education program.
Associate Dean of Education Dr. Christee Jenlink said the teacher shortage has been happening for years, and the number of teachers retiring is higher than the number of new teachers pursuing a career.
Northwestern has a strong retention rate for their education program.
“We have a 93% retention rate meaning our students have graduated or are continuing on track to graduate,” says Jenlink.
The university offers several scholarships for education majors to continue their education, and the state has also implemented an incentive for student teachers.
The Oklahoma State Department of Education will use $12.75 million in federal relief funds to pay student teachers for their work, according to KFOR. The incentive is meant to help student teachers with bills if they aren’t able to work outside of their teaching.
Katelyn Schieber, a Northwestern education major from Newkirk, is a future teacher who said she is excited for a career in education.
“I actually didn’t start out in education,” she said. “My first major was psychology, but after three semesters, I realized it wasn’t for me. I switched into elementary education and have not had any second thoughts since.”
Schieber said she was inspired to be a teacher because of her family.
“My mom and sister are teachers, and my sister, brother and dad all coach in my hometown high school,” she said. “So, it was kind of inevitable that I would end up here. But I love kids and loved school growing up. I was always the person who was helping others with their homework or assignments, and I really enjoyed that.
“I though, ‘Why not try out the teaching thing?’ I have loved it and not been bored at all with my choice.”
Schieber said she appreciates the education department’s professors, small class sizes and real-world learning opportunities.
“The staff in the education department is the best,” Schieber said. “They push you to do a lot of hard things but are always there to support you.”