ESU among recipients of commonwealth grants for special education teacher training

The commonwealth of Pennsylvania has awarded nearly $1 million in grants to 11 higher education institutions, including East Stroudsburg University, to provide an accelerated pathway to certification for special education teachers in training.

East Stroudsburg University is a three-time recipient of the grant. The University collaborates with Northampton Community College and has partnerships with Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 and local school districts to remove roadblocks that can prohibit a student from becoming special education professionals. A total of 32 students completed the accelerated special educator certification through the first two rounds of grant funding.

“East Stroudsburg University is thankful to receive grant funding once again for the Accelerated Special Educator Certification. The objective of this grant falls in line with a variety of other initiatives ESU’s College of Education is working on to help put well-prepared teachers in classrooms and alleviate the teacher shortage in the commonwealth,” said Dr. Brooke Langan, Dean of ESU’s College of Education. “We are always working closely with area school districts to address the need for teachers including creating post-baccalaureate opportunities such as this accelerated special educator certification program.”

Created under the Shapiro Administration and first announced in 2023, the Accelerated Program for PK-12 Special Education Teacher Certification expedites the certification process for prospective special educators who are currently working on emergency permits, experience-based certificates, or serving as paraeducators in Pennsylvania schools.

Special Education teacher Nick Tanzillo earned his certification in the first cohort of 142 educators who completed the Accelerated Program for PK-12 Special Education Teacher Certification in 2025. Tanzillo is now a Special Education teacher for Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 working with students in a therapeutic emotional support program at Pleasant Valley Middle School in the Pleasant Valley School District and a mentor to students in East Stroudsburg University’s second cohort of aspiring educators in the accelerated program.

“The Accelerated Grant Program created an opportunity that once felt out of reach, the ability to become a certified special education teacher while continuing to work and support my family. The mentorship, field experience, and coursework worked together to accelerate my growth as an educator,” Tanzillo said. “Because of that investment, my students now benefit from a classroom led by someone who understands their needs from years of hands-on experience.”