CLU starts fast-track teacher program

California Lutheran University started a new program this semester that enables students to earn their degree and preliminary teaching credential in four years instead of the traditional five.

The 11 students in the first Integrated Liberal Studies cohort began classes in the fall. The aspiring educators will be able to complete their coursework in three years and their student teaching in the fourth year.

California is experiencing a teacher shortage that is expected to get worse over the next 10 years. One of the ways the California Department of Education has suggested addressing this problem is to expand alternative programs that allow teachers to obtain a four-year degree while obtaining a credential.

This fast-track program is not for everyone, though, said Michael McCambridge, Ed.D., a professor in the School of Education. Students must have high grade point averages and SAT scores to qualify.

“You need to have a real motivated student,” McCambridge explained. “This is for people who have always known that they wanted to be a teacher. They are the ones who taught their animals and organized a school for the kids in their neighborhood when they were young.”

For more information, contact McCambridge at (805) 493-3093 or mdmcamb@callutheran.edu.