Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 24, 2002
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
Alt Contact:  Kevin Nemeth, CWU Office of Continuing Education, 509-963-1504

Locke announces new ‘career switcher program’ to encourage transitions to teaching careers

OLYMPIA — Gov. Gary Locke today announced a new Central Washington University teacher certification program and provided $38,000 in start-up funding to help engineering and math professionals switch into teaching careers.

CWU will begin offering the unique post-baccalaureate program this fall at its Lynnwood Center. The “Career Switcher Program” is designed for individuals with a strong mathematics background who are interested in pursuing a career as a junior or senior high school mathematics teacher.

“This innovative approach to addressing the critical shortage of math teachers is particularly timely, given the recent layoffs at Boeing and in the high tech sector,” said Locke.

“Engineers from around the Puget Sound region who have been laid off as a result of the economic recession would be excellent candidates for this program,” said Kevin Nemeth, director of the CWU office of continuing education. “We’re here to assist workers through career transitions. If they’re interested in teaching, this program could be just the ticket.”

According to the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, the state faces considerable shortages among teachers needed for a variety of academic disciplines, including mathematics.

The program will involve 15 months of intensive study over five academic quarters, beginning in September 2002 and ending in December 2003. Participants who successfully complete the program will receive a Washington residency-teaching certificate with an endorsement to teach math at the middle and high school levels.

The program will enroll 30 students this year and participants will progress with their peers throughout the entire program sequence.

“They may know a lot about math, but the program will show them how to teach what they know,” Nemeth said. “They’ll learn about all the things teachers must know and be responsible for — such as classroom management techniques — to become successful teachers.”

The program content is exactly the same as that offered to CWU undergraduate students preparing to be math teachers on Central’s Ellensburg campus, but has been condensed into a shorter time frame, with some of the courses delivered in an alternative format — such as Web-based and interactive television — so students can complete the requirements more quickly and get on to their new careers.

“Even so, this is a comprehensive course and not an alternative certification program,” said Nemeth.

In addition to the governor’s endorsement, Nemeth said CWU has received strong support for the program from a variety of organizations, including regional Workforce Development Councils, WorkSource Centers, Boeing Career Transition Centers, the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace and the Washington Employment Security Department.

Individuals interested in the program may qualify for tuition assistance through dislocated worker funding and Trade Adjustment Act funding.

For additional information, call 800-720-4503 or visit CWU’s Career Switcher Program Web site at www.cwuonline.org/careerswitcher. The hearing impaired may call TDD (509) 963-3323.

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Related Links:
- CWU Lynnwood Center
- CWU Career Switcher Program
- Employment Security Department
- Central Washington University
- Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
- WorkSource

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