Oklahoma City University has added a new Master of Arts program in teaching elementary education, wi...

1. OCU adds Master's Degree program in elementary teaching
Oklahoma City University has added a new
Master of Arts program in teaching elementary
education, with classes set to begin in summer
2015.
Elizabeth Willner, OCU's director of teacher
education, said a need for more and better
teachers, especially in urban schools,
prompted university officials to approve the
new two-year program.
With a severe shortage of qualified teachers
for public schools in the Oklahoma City area as
well as across the state, Willner said districts
have resorted to hiring teachers with little or
no preparation to fill positions. It is currently the only master's degree program in Oklahoma for
elementary teaching.
Willner cites the university's close ties with nearby city schools as one of the positive aspects of the
OCU education program.
Three of the last 10 state teacher of the year winners are OCU alumni, and all three are working in
schools in the Oklahoma City metro area.
For more information about the Master of Arts in Teaching Elementary Education program, contact
department Chairwoman Lois Lawler-Brown at 208-5374 or llbrown@okcu.edu.
. This is especially true in elementary and early childhood education.
Willner anticipates that some of the Master of Arts in Teaching Elementary Education students will
be career changers hoping to make positive differences in the community