December 13, 2016

SVSU College of Education earns 7-year accreditation stamp of approval

The endorsement of a new accrediting agency will empower Saginaw Valley State University graduates with a powerful résumé boost when they seek jobs in an expanding K-12 education workforce.

The SVSU College of Education recently earned accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) for a 7-year period. SVSU is one of the early adopters of the relatively new agency, said Craig Douglas, dean of the SVSU College of Education.

“The reason we decided to pursue this accreditation was because we embrace the idea of continuous improvement,” he said. “Education is changing so fast, and in order to prepare teacher candidates, colleges of education have to be able to change too, and to improve with the changes.”

SVSU is one of only 17 schools in the nation to have passed the new, tougher standards, according to Education Week. 

Douglas, who spent nearly 40 years working in public education before joining SVSU in 2014, said the accreditation is a powerful endorsement of the support students receive from SVSU faculty, and for SVSU graduates as they enter a work force ripe for qualified candidates — in Michigan, especially.

After years of decline, openings for K-12 teachers in the state have swelled. For example, there were 546 K-12 teaching openings reported in 2012 compared to 849 openings in 2015, according to SVSU Career Services, which tracks job opportunities for students and alumni. That’s a 35.6 percent hike in opportunities within a 3-year span, and districts have been active posting jobs this year, too.

Some education experts estimate nearly one-third of the teaching jobs in Michigan will turn over in the next few years.

“This accreditation breeds confidence in our students’ abilities,” Douglas said. “For schools looking for candidates, this means they can be assured our students meet the expectations of an accrediting body. Once you attain accreditation, you have achieved a benchmark that is of value and importance to your students and employers that will hire them one day.”