51ĀŅĀ×

In an effort to address the critical shortage of high-quality teachers in Ohio and across the nation, 51ĀŅĀ×ā€™s Patton College of Education is collaborating with other colleges and universities, the Ohio Department of Education, and the Ohio Department of Higher Education for five regional convenings.

These meetings will include stakeholders from P-12 and higher education, local communities, business and industry, and government to generate possibilities for recruiting and retaining quality teachers. Participants will work to identify collaborative solutions to address Ohioā€™s teacher shortage.

51ĀŅĀ× will serve as the host for the Southeast convening, which will take place from 9:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022.

ā€œWe hope these meetings will bring greater public awareness to the implications of the teacher shortage and garner greater support for those regional and state-level efforts to curtail the shortage,ā€ said Sara Helfrich, interim dean of the Patton College of Education. ā€œWithout addressing this issue, students face the likelihood of larger class sizes and reduced learning opportunities, all of which can have a long-term effect on students, families, and communities.ā€

To register to attend, please go to .

ā€œWe hope to have good attendance for these important conversations,ā€ Dr. Helfrich said. ā€œIf weā€™re going to move the needle on addressing this issue, we need to work together to develop collaborative approaches to recruit, retain, and retire teachers in Ohio.ā€