LCCC panel addresses teacher shortage; College unveils educational innovation center

Apr. 26—NANTICOKE — Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski on Friday said the shortage of teachers in Pennsylvania is reaching a critical stage and a solution must be found.

Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, and several other state legislators attended a panel discussion at Luzerne County Community College to address the national and regional teacher shortage.

"It's time to be innovative," Pashinski said. "This really is a critical time. We all have a duty and responsibility to find a solution for our children."

Pashinski said the state has a $14 billion fund balance and some of that should be used to address the teacher shortage.

Other legislators attending were: Rep. Alec Ryncavage, R-Plymouth; Rep. Jim Haddock, D-Pittston Township; Rep. Aaron Kaufer, R-Kingston; Rep. Kyle Donahue, D-Scranton; Sen. Dave Argall, R-Pottsville. Also attending were representatives of Sen. Lisa Baker, Sen. Linda Schlegel Culver, U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright and U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser and Luzerne County Council member Brian Thornton.

Following the discussion, LCCC President Tom Leary gave the officials a tour of the college's new educational innovation center and also offered a sneak peek at a new arboretum.

The panel discussion was held at the Educational Conference Center at LCCC's main campus in Nanticoke.

Much of the panel discussion centred on how LCCC is preparing future students to meet the needs of area employers through its new innovation center. LCCC's new arboretum will also provide learning opportunities for future students.

Participating in the panel discussion were:

—Atty. Cathy O'Donnell, chair of the LCCC Board of trustees, who served as moderators.

—Joe Esposito, LCCC trustee

—LCCC president Thomas P. Leary

—Dr. Stan Sidor, president/CEO, Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges

—Dr. Brian Uplinger, superintendent, Hazleton Area School District

—Dr. Brian Costello, superintendent, Wilkes-Barre Area School District

—Hayley Lewis, LCCC ECE student

—Summer Belles, LCCC ECE student

—Lynn Biga, executive director, Luzerne County Head Start

—Dr. Janis Wilson-Seeley, department chair, LCCC Social and Behavioral Sciences

Costello said his district will hire additional teachers if Gov. Josh Shapiro's plan to increase funding to school districts is approved by the legislature.

Uplinger said he would do the same, as would most school districts, but the key is funding.

Costello said enrollment at Wilkes-Barre Area has risen in recent years from 7,200 to 8,500. Uplinger said Hazleton has more than 13,000 students.

The panel of educators said approximately 6,000 teachers are certified each year in Pennsylvania. That's significantly lower that 10 years ago when more than 20,000 new teachers were certified yearly.

Leary said LCCC has associate degree programs designed to prepare graduates for careers in early childhood education and in education.

Specific to the early childhood teacher issue, Leary said LCCC submitted a self-study report to the National Association for the Education of Young Children in November 2023.

That report showed in LCCC's service area, there were15,927 children aged three to four years old.

"To ensure all of those children have access to pre-K programs, we need a minimum of 1,874 additional pre-K teachers," he said.

Leary and Biga, of Head Start, said they have formed a partnership that strengthens educational opportunities. Since 2017, LCCC has had the privilege of housing the Head Start program at our campus in Nanticoke and at our center in Hazleton on Broad Street.

"This partnership helps us learn from each other and helps our students be the best they can be," Biga said. "It also has the potential to help address the regional, state and national teacher shortages by producing well-prepared graduates who have experience with preschool children."

Leary and Biga said LCCC is one of 100 community colleges out of 3,000 in the nation that have Head Start centers on site.

At LCCC, Leary said future early childhood education teachers get hands-on experience.

"We help produce qualified teachers who can hit the ground running and help alleviate the teacher shortage currently facing our region and state," Leary said.

Additionally, Biga said Head Start can help with the teacher shortage because future LCCC students who get exposure in a Head Start classroom may want to continue their careers as teachers.

Sidor said his organization is concerned with enrollment retention at schools, declining birthrates and demographic shifts.

"There are sweeping changes coming in education," Sidor said. "Whether we want them or not."

O'Donnell noted that nearly all of LCCC graduates remain in the region to work and raise a family.

Uplinger noted that the Latino population has increased dramatically and the district offers an ESL program to assure that all students are aware of all opportunities available to them.

Leary said LCCC developed an ESL program years ago to meet the demand.

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.