Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean to be an early childhood special education teacher?

How likely is it that I will find a job when I'm done?

Early Childhood Special Education is identified as an area of teaching in which there is a critical shortage of licensed teachers in Minnesota. Nearly 100 special permissions are granted each year for school districts to hire unlicensed individuals to work in the field of ECSE to fill positions that could not be filled by a licensed ECSE teacher. The jobs exist. More licensed ECSE teachers are needed to deliver high quality services to Minnesota's young children.

Early Childhood Special Education Teachers may serve as preschool classroom teachers, in-home service providers, consultants to general classroom teachers, and evaluation team members in early childhood. Professional teachers may serve children who range in age from infancy through age six who have a wide variety of needs (e.g. developmental delays, physical or health impairments, autism) and who come from a variety of cultural, linguistic and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Can I still work and attend school?YES! Most programs offer classes during times that accommodate the busy lives of individuals who are working or spending significant portions of their day providing care to others.

How do most students pay the tuition costs?There are a variety of scholarships, grants, and federal loans that many students find helpful when paying tuition costs. Many students find Perkins and Stafford loans (https://studentaid.ed.gov/sites/default/files/loan-forgiveness-for-teachers.pdf) to be helpful options given the loan forgiveness option for teachers (https://www.studentaid.gov/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/charts/teacher#am-i-a-highly) who agree to teach in a high needs area (https://www.tcli.ed.gov/CBSWebApp/tcli/TCLIPubSchoolSearch.jsp). Additionally, most students are eligible to apply for TEACH grants if they agree to teach for multiple years in a high needs area (https://teach-ats.ed.gov/ats/index.action). Information about how to apply for financial aid is available through each university.

Where can I go to learn more about early childhood special education in Minnesota?There are several great resources for those interested in exploring more about what it means to be an early childhood special education teacher as well as other organizations that support the work of early childhood special education teachers.