UT Martin receives funds for special ed program

Posted: Wednesday, November 7, 2012 6:00 pm

The Messenger 11.07.12

Two special programs under University of Tennessee at Martin Department of Educational Studies have received state awards to fund the recruitment and training of special education teachers.
The Tennessee Department of Education awarded the UT Martin Special Education Summer Institute $406,272 for the 2012-15 funding cycle.
The institute, offered since 1989, provides curriculum for educational assistants and teachers who work with children with disabilities. The program pays for tuition and provides an allowance for fees, materials, books and lodging for those participating.
Dr. Cherry Watts, assistant professor of educational studies, has served as the program’s director since 2006.
The state department also awarded the Become a Special Educator in Tennessee (BASE-TN) Teaching Program $270,000 for the 2012-15 cycle, representing a continuation award from 2010-11. BASE-TN provides tuition assistance for two groups of participants.
The first group includes students who have completed two years of college credit and are serving students with disabilities as educational assistants or paraprofessionals in Tennessee public schools. The second group includes students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree and wish to complete a teacher licensure in special education.
“It is exciting to know that our program is able to offer tuition assistance to allow individuals to pursue their goal of special education teacher licensure. It is even more exciting to see their successes as effective special educators serving in Tennessee public schools,” said Dr. Beth Quick, chair of the Department of Educational Studies and BASE-TN project director.
For more information about the Special Education Summer Institute, Dr. Watts at (731) 881-7212 or by email at cwatts@utm.edu. For more information about the BASE-TN program, contact Dr. Quick at (731) 881-7193 or by email at bquick@utm.edu.

, ,