Appalachian State University is offering a new career program to help address a shortage of exceptional children or EC teachers in rural Appalachia.
More than 100 education professionals from Watauga, Caldwell and Catawba counties are taking part this fall.
EC teachers work with students with intellectual, emotional or physical disabilities.
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction found there were over 1,500 vacancies in this field across the state in the 2023-24 academic year. That’s a 28 percent increase over the previous year.
The program is supported by a $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.