This fall, more than 100 teacher’s assistants, educators, and school administrators from Watauga, Caldwell, and Catawba counties will participate in a new career pathways program at Appalachian State University. The initiative is designed to address the shortage of special education teachers in rural Appalachia and is supported by over $1.4 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Recent data from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction show that there were 1,544 K–12 Exceptional Children (EC) teacher vacancies across the state during the 2023–24 academic year, marking a 28% increase from the previous year. Special education teachers provide instruction tailored to students with various disabilities.
“This program represents a transformative opportunity for our region,” said Dr. Melba Spooner, dean of the Reich College of Education. “By investing in the development of a strong, well-supported special education workforce, we are not only addressing a critical need in our rural communities, we are also creating meaningful career pathways for individuals who are passionate about making a difference.”
“In the Reich College of Education, we are proud to lead this collaborative effort to ensure every student has access to the high-quality education they deserve,” she added.
The program is developed with local school districts and community partners such as High Country Workforce Development Board, myFutureNC, and Watauga Opportunities. It provides tuition assistance, stipends, and professional development opportunities for participants.
Dr. Debra Prykanowski and Dr. Kelly Clark from App State’s Department of Child Development, Literacy and Special Education co-lead the grant-funded project along with several faculty collaborators and Dr. David Peyton from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
“Through investments in training, mentorship and improved working conditions for teachers, teacher’s assistants and administrators across Watauga, Caldwell and Catawba counties, we are aiming to ultimately enhance the educational experience for students with disabilities throughout our region,” said Prykanowski.
“Moreover, we believe that offering appropriate compensation — whether through stipends or tuition support — not only values the time and expertise of special education professionals but also reinforces the importance of investing in those who serve students with disabilities,” she added.
Earlier this year at App State’s Hickory campus, Prykanowski and Clark led a symposium with school districts and community partners to identify district needs and develop recruitment strategies for each career pathway.
Heather Wilson, director of exceptional children at Caldwell County Schools noted: “Passionate educators in our district are dedicated and motivated to continually improve and grow through expanding their professional licensure and qualifications.”
With an increase from 41 to 57 staff enrolled in Caldwell County alone, participation reflects ongoing efforts to strengthen support for special education locally.
“Caldwell County Schools already works closely in collaboration with App State’s Reich College of Education to develop and nurture a workforce of talented educators, so a partnership focused on strengthening the reservoir of Exceptional Children program educators and expanding the number of administrators who have advanced training in Exceptional Children programs simply made sense,” Wilson added.
The grant also creates research opportunities for graduate students at Appalachian State University. Josie Barnes ’24 ’25 served as graduate assistant for 2024–25 by supporting research activities such as transcribing interviews with special education teachers. She presented findings alongside faculty at conferences focusing on working conditions in rural schools as well as paraprofessional training initiatives.
For 2025–26 Lauren Young ’25 will serve as graduate assistant focusing on paraprofessional student support within special education programs.
“As a future Exceptional Children teacher, this research is close to my heart — and my future,” said Young. “Being involved in this initiative helps me learn how to better support my classroom, my paraprofessionals and myself in creating a positive and effective learning environment.”
Young added: “This work feels especially personal and meaningful, and it has already shaped how I think about collaboration, support systems and professional development in special education.”
Prykanowski and Clark intend for this work to serve as a model statewide or nationally while seeking additional funding beyond current grants.
“By aligning university preparation from App State with the real-world needs of our local schools, we’re building a stronger, more resilient future for special education in our region,” said Prykanowski.
Appalachian State University’s Reich College of Education enrolls more than 2,000 students across bachelor’s through doctoral programs covering areas such as teacher preparation https://rcoe.appstate.edu/. With one of North Carolina’s largest undergraduate teacher preparation programs—graduating about 500 teachers annually—the college maintains alumni presence throughout all state counties. The Department offers degree programs focused on child development fields including literacy studies https://clse.appstate.edu/.
The university itself enrolls over 21,000 students across its Boone and Hickory campuses as well as online offerings https://www.appstate.edu/, maintaining one of North Carolina’s lowest student-to-faculty ratios among public institutions.
