WVU is addressing a nationwide shortage of teachers with initiatives, partnerships and redesigned academic pathways built to strengthen the educator pipeline and streamline entry into the profession. These collective efforts could have a huge impact on school districts across the Mountain State and elsewhere for generations to come. (WVU Photo/Matt Sunday)
A collection of new West Virginia University initiatives, partnerships and redesigned academic pathways are answering a nationwide teacher shortage — felt deeply in the Mountain State’s hills and hollows — by meeting potential teachers where they are and creating a sustainable path toward the education field.
“When we create pathways into teaching that are flexible, community-centered and career-ready, we don’t just strengthen the pipeline — we restore purpose to public education,” said Nathan Sorber, interim dean, WVU College of Applied Human Sciences.
“These efforts are about helping students return home to teach, streamlining entry into the profession and honoring the lived experiences of nontraditional learners. They show higher education can be relevant, accessible and deeply rooted in transforming both individual lives and the communities we serve.”
Reimagining educator training and support
Teacher shortages today are not just about empty classrooms.
“Often, it’s about underprepared educators, teachers working outside their certification or others who leave the profession before they ever get a foothold,” said Matthew Campbell, interim director of the College’s School of Education and Counseling. “Our goal is to help more people become highly qualified teachers and support them, so they choose to stay in the profession.”
WVU is now more than year into a successful partnership with Kanawha County Schools — the largest and one of the most complex school districts in West Virginia. In collaboration with Kanawha County and the West Virginia Department of Education, the University launched a cohort that enrolled 50 local teachers in the Literacy Education master’s program offered through WVU Online which leads to Reading Specialist certifications. The effort aligns with the state’s Third Grade Success Act, aims to improve reading achievement for young learners and recently received national recognition with distinction from the International Literacy Association.
“This wasn’t just a class. It was a pathway,” Sorber said. “These teachers have stayed in their classrooms while completing their degrees online. We brought them to campus, and our faculty traveled to their schools. It’s been a true partnership — and it’s working.”
Now entering its second year, WVU Literacy Education faculty Allison Dagen, Aimee Morewood and Courtney Shimek have been an integral part of retaining 49 of the original 50 participants, with many already serving as literacy leaders in their schools.
Another major innovation at WVU supporting literacy education is its alignment with the state’s investment in the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling training initiative. LETRS is a nationally recognized, intensive two-year professional development program for reading instruction — which has been made available to educators through district and state support.
Recognizing the effort involved, WVU allows LETRS-certified educators to receive up to 12 credit hours toward the master’s degree in Literacy Education. That’s 40% of a graduate degree before even enrolling.
“Our faculty evaluated the LETRS curriculum and determined it met the rigor and learning outcomes of our program,” Campbell explained. “This is a direct and powerful example of how we’re making the pathway to advanced credentials more flexible and accessible.”
Expanding the teacher pipeline
Not only does WVU have its hand in training existing teachers, the University is also working to significantly increase the number of new teachers in the state.
The elementary education major, redesigned for accessibility, is booming. Enrollment in the rising junior cohort has jumped to over 110 students — nearly doubling in size over the past three years. More students are declaring the major later in their college journeys, taking advantage of transfer-friendly policies and the streamlined two-year completion promise.
The WVU College of Applied Human Sciences is also preparing to roll out a bold new plan allowing education students to complete their final year-long teaching residency in their home counties. Starting in Fall 2026, students can finish their coursework online while teaching in schools local to their home, thanks to a new remote-compatible curriculum.
“This is our ‘Take Me Home’ program,” said Sorber. “It’s a win-win. Students save money and strengthen their professional ties, and school districts gain access to well-prepared future teachers who already have roots in their communities.”
This approach also aligns with the state’s recent shift to a year-long residency requirement, replacing the previous single-semester model and giving student teachers deeper experiences and stronger school connections.
“Through the work of both the School of Education and Counseling and the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative, we are creating pathways that empower both teachers and students to excel in the Mountain State, ” said Donna Hoylman Peduto, executive director of the Collaborative.
Currently in its pilot cohort, the WVPEC’s Teachers Ascend Program is addressing critical teacher shortages in Monongalia and Preston counties by recruiting skilled educators from other states to work and live in the Mountain State, with plans to expand the program into other counties.
At the same time, the STEAM Technical Assistance Center has engaged over 60,000 students and hundreds of educators in multidisciplinary, career-based classroom immersions led by STEAM TAC specialists — master teachers with decades of experience — since 2022.
“This is critical, impactful work, and WVU is taking action to bring more teachers into West Virginia classrooms and give them the resources they need to help our students thrive,” Peduto said.
Growing our own
With roughly 1,500 teaching vacancies statewide, West Virginia schools increasingly rely on classroom paraprofessionals and aides — many of whom already work with students daily. As a result, the University also explored an entirely online option for its Elementary Education program. This pathway would particularly target individuals with associate degrees and years of experience working in schools to earn bachelor’s degrees and full teaching credentials without leaving their jobs and home communities.
“This is how we ‘grow our own’ teachers in West Virginia,” said Campbell. “The best future teachers are already in our schools. We just need to help them cross the finish line.”
WVU is also growing its education curriculum to meet demand — both in numbers and in diversity of pathways. New programs in secondary math and science education are launching, along with a fully online master’s program in educational leadership, including principal and superintendent certifications.
These programs mirror the features of accessibility and student success that have allowed the Elementary Education and Literacy Education programs to find new growth and impact. But what makes all these efforts possible is the University’s commitment to collaboration — with school districts, with the state Department of Education and with the educators themselves.
“We’re not in the ivory tower telling people how to solve their problems,” Campbell said. “We’re listening, learning and building these solutions together. We want counties across West Virginia to see what’s working, and then we want to help them bring it home.”
Sorber said WVU has already made great strides in redesigning teacher preparation to reflect the realities and aspirations of today’s students.
“By streamlining pathways, building in flexibility and allowing future educators to serve their home communities while completing their training, we’re directly answering the urgent call from West Virginia’s schools,” he said.
“Our rapid gains in enrollment and retention show we’re removing barriers, meeting students where they are and fulfilling our land-grant mission through relevance, applied learning and innovation. These education initiatives at WVU are proving that with vision, flexibility and true partnership, it’s possible to solve the teacher shortage crisis here in the Mountain State — one community, one classroom and one future educator at a time.”
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