Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Dr. Carrie Rowe announced nearly $1 million in grants to 11 institutions of higher education to provide an accelerated pathway to certification for aspiring Special Education teachers.
These grants allow higher education institutions to expedite training and certification for Special Education teachers like Nick Tanzillo, who 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.”
The first cohort of 142 educators completed the program in 2025. Two educators who completed the program through East Stroudsburg University joined Secretary Rowe on Monday to share their stories. A second group of students began coursework last year to become certified Special Education teachers in Pennsylvania. Enrolled at 14 colleges and universities throughout the Commonwealth, those 150 students are on track to obtain their teaching certification later this year.
In 2025, a second group of students began coursework through the accelerated program to become certified Special Education teachers in Pennsylvania. Enrolled at 14 colleges and universities throughout the Commonwealth, those 150 students are on track to obtain their teaching certification later this year.
With the third round of funding announced this week, it’s helping to train and certify an additional 175 Special Education teachers – bringing the total to more than 450 Special Education teachers being prepared to teach in Pennsylvania classrooms through this expedited pipeline.
“People like Nick Tanzillo and Jieh Xuan Pan were already showing up for students every day. What they needed was a pathway to earn their full teacher certification without putting their lives or careers on hold. That’s exactly what this accelerated program provides,” said Secretary Rowe. “By partnering with institutions like East Stroudsburg University, we’re helping dedicated Pennsylvanians move into the classrooms where they’re needed most and making sure students with disabilities have access to the highly qualified teachers they deserve.”
The latest round of grants, ranging from $35,000 to $100,000, has been awarded to the following institutions to serve about 175 aspiring educators in the third cohort:
- DeSales University
- East Stroudsburg University
- Gannon University
- King’s College
- Kutztown University
- Mercyhurst University
- Moravian University
- Penn State University
- Point Park University
- Robert Morris University
- Temple University
