69ý

Recruitment & Retention

Prospective Teachers in Rural Areas Tune In to Satellite Classes

By Joetta L. Sack — March 03, 2008 4 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

The rural, slow-paced lifestyle of the Eastern Shore of Virginia--a jagged peninsula set off by the Chesapeake Bay--helps distinguish the region from the more populous parts of the state.

But like other areas of Virginia, the two school districts that occupy this impoverished stretch of shoreland also need special education teachers.

State officials believe they have found a high-tech remedy to ease the problem for the Eastern Shore’s isolated communities, where fishing and farming are the main industries.

The state education department last spring sought to remedy theirs and other districts’ shortages by awarding a two-year, $1.2 million grant to Old Dominion University. In turn, the public university provides distance-learning classes for teachers and other professionals to earn their certification in special education.

Distance learning overcomes a large hurdle for ambitious residents of the state’s many rural areas--finding accessible classes. The Eastern Shore, for instance, has only one higher education institution, a two-year community college here in Melfa. From this tiny community, at the midway point of the peninsula’s only thoroughfare, teachers would have to drive more than three hours, and pay $20 in tolls, to cross the bay to the Old Dominion campus, located in Norfolk.

About This Series

For the past several years, Old Dominion has been promoting distance learning through its so-called Teletechnet program, which transmits classes by satellite to other sites. The university worked with school districts to devise a series of nine special education courses required for state certification that could be broadcast by satellite television to the state’s 31 community colleges.

On-Site Assistance

Most of the classes broadcast to the outlying community colleges allow students to interact with their on-screen professors by radio, although a few have received two-way video systems. Each classroom also has a site director, employed by Old Dominion, to oversee coursework and exams. And districts must provide a more experienced teacher to mentor each student and oversee evaluations.

“We wanted something that was a proven program,” said Sandra Aldrich, an education specialist with the state department. Old Dominion was chosen to receive the grant partly because “it does not differentiate from its on-campus program.”

Virginia in recent years has seen an oversupply of elementary teachers but a shortage in nearly all special education specialties, according to Ms. Aldrich.

The availability of the distance-learning classes at Eastern Shore Community College, along with the financial assistance, has enabled some aspiring teachers to achieve what otherwise would have been unlikely. They pay $100 of the $550 tuition for each class, with the grant picking up the remaining amount.

S. Dawn Goldstine, the superintendent of the 2,400-student Northampton County district on the Eastern Shore, said the program has greatly helped the district recruit and train much-needed special education teachers already living in the communities.

“It’s difficult for us, at best, to attract quality teachers to an isolated location like this,” she said. In addition to the region’s lifestyle and lack of amenities, district salaries fall below the state average, making it harder to compete for new graduates, she added.

‘Exact Same Courses’

Elaine M. Johnson, a 28-year-old native of the Eastern Shore, started as a substitute teacher, but she was later hired as an aide to special education students in Northampton County. She and her mother, Bonnie M. Trower, 53, a former real estate agent and also a longtime resident, began taking Teletechnet classes to earn their teaching certificates. Now, the pair are enrolled in the special education grant program to earn their master’s degrees.

“Our students are taking the exact same courses, same exams, all the same requirements, but are simply using technology to allow them to do so,” said Old Dominion President James Koch.

Although having television cameras and computer monitors in their classrooms took some getting used to, several Old Dominion’s special education professors said they now have a different view of teaching and learning. “The technology has helped us step out of the box,” said Jane Hager, an associate dean for special education.

A version of this article appeared in the March 24, 1999 edition of Education Week as Prospective Teachers in Rural Areas Tune In to Satellite Classes

Events

School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in 69ý
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?
What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Recruitment & Retention Explainer 4 Things to Know About the Messy Landscape of Grow-Your-Own Teacher Prep
From residencies and apprenticeships to disparate grow-your-own programs, locally focused teacher preparation is in flux.
7 min read
Linear Style iconic illustration of mentoring and training in an abstract pattern.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty + Education Week
Recruitment & Retention Opinion Want to Retain Teachers? Here's What Districts and 69ý Can Do
Severe teacher shortages persist. Educators suggest what schools and districts can do to fill those posts.
11 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
iStock/Getty
Recruitment & Retention 69ý Have Fewer Teacher Vacancies This Year. But Hiring Is Still Not Easy
69ý struggled less to fill teaching positions in the 2024-25 school year, but they still started the year with vacant teaching spots.
3 min read
Illustration on teacher staffing vacancies with spotlight on empty workspace in classroom.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty Images
Recruitment & Retention Q&A 69ý Can't Find Enough Teachers. A New Federal Center Aims to Help
The U.S. Department of Education's research agency has launched a new center focused on improving teacher staffing and retention.
6 min read
Photograph of a diverse group of educators meeting in the hallway of an elementary school.
E+