MSU's education department expands program for special education teachers

BOZEMAN, Mont. – Montana State University's Department of Education is addressing a growing need for special education teachers across Montana by introducing a new certification program for those pursuing a degree in education. 

Starting this spring, students at MSU can add classes that provide the tools and knowledge needed to teach children with special education needs. The program includes practical experience, sending teachers-in-training into real classrooms to work with students and special education professionals. 

As of December, the Bozeman School District has eight open special education-related positions, with over 50 unfilled positions statewide. The department aims to keep these teachers in-state, particularly in rural communities. 

"People who are attending MSU who come from rural communities now have that additional option so that when they go back to the communities where they want to teach, they already have that cert," said Leslie Rogers from MSU's Department of Education. "And so, they can have that as an option or use it as those skills as a general education teacher." 

The certification classes begin this spring, allowing students graduating in the spring of 2027 to obtain this certification.