Early Childhood Education options expand
Thanks to a new agreement, students taking classes in the Early Childhood Education associate’s degree program now have the option of pursuing a four-year licensing or non-licensing program by transferring to East Tennessee State University.
The transfer agreement allows students to take two years of courses through Pellissippi State, then attend ETSU for their remaining junior and senior classes. Students completing the prekindergarten–third grade licensure path are qualified to teach in Tennessee’s public schools.
Thanks to government funding, there has been a recent growth in the number of pre-K jobs offered in the public sector. Students with a four-year degree increase their professional marketability in applying for both public and private teaching positions. Candidates who can benefit from the non-licensure track include those applying to social services programs that require a four-year degree.
In addition to the new transfer option, Pellissippi State also offers the following in its two-year Early Childhood Education program: coursework required for the Child Development Associate credential; the two-year Associate of Applied Science degree, which prepares students to enter the workforce as assistant public school teachers, Head Start employees or child-care professionals; and the state-issued Administrator credential, designed for day-care directors.
With many of the required classes available online and supported by an in-the-field practicum, the program offers a high level of flexibility to individuals already employed in early childhood education careers.
For qualified candidates currently working in the child-care field, funding for tuition and textbooks may be available through Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance, (423) 439-7855.
Information on the degree program is available by contacting Shari Lillestolen, assistant professor of Early Childhood Education, at srlillestolen@pstcc.edu or 539-7229.
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