JACKSON, Miss. — As Mississippi schools continue to face a critical shortage of special education teachers, Belhaven University is offering a new online endorsement program aimed at helping licensed educators earn additional certification while remaining in the classroom.
The university’s School of Education launched its fully online Special Education Endorsement program this semester, enrolling 14 teachers in its inaugural class. The program is designed to provide a flexible pathway for licensed teachers to expand their credentials and better serve students with diverse learning needs.
The need is significant.
According to a December 2025 report from the Mississippi Department of Education, nearly 600 special education teaching positions remain vacant across the state, making it the largest teacher shortage area in Mississippi. The number has increased by more than 130 vacancies in the past year and more than 200 since 2021.
Mariella Simons, chair of Belhaven University’s graduate education program, said the university created the endorsement after recognizing the growing demand for qualified special education teachers.
“We recognized a need across the state for special education teachers,” Simons said. “We developed a program, received approval from the Mississippi Department of Education, then completed the accreditation process through the Commission on Accreditation and the State Board of Education.”
Teachers who already hold a five-year Mississippi educator license need only four courses to earn the endorsement, she said.
The curriculum includes coursework in special education law, disability characteristics, family collaboration and developing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Students can complete the endorsement in one academic year by taking two courses in the fall and two in the spring, and enrollment is available throughout the year.
Simons said offering the program entirely online was a deliberate decision to accommodate working educators.
“The endorsement process is something many teachers simply don’t know about,” she said. “Once they realize it’s only four courses, many of them say, ‘Why not?"”
The program has been approved by the Mississippi Board of Education and allows eligible teachers to earn endorsements 221, 223 or 224, depending on their current licensure.
Erica Webber Jones, executive director of the Mississippi Association of Educators and a former inclusion teacher, said the shortage affects school districts statewide and impacts students at every grade level.
“Compared to a classroom of 27 or more students, our special education teachers may only work with four or five students at a time,” Jones said. “That smaller caseload highlights why every district needs more educators certified in special education.”
Jones believes the program’s online format could help remove barriers that often prevent teachers from pursuing additional certification.
“This provides flexibility for educators who are already in the classroom,” she said. “If teachers can complete coursework a few hours each evening without leaving their jobs, that’s a tremendous benefit for school districts across Mississippi.”
Belhaven officials expect enrollment to increase as more educators become aware of the endorsement opportunity.
The deadline to apply for Fall 2026 classes is Thursday, July 30. More information about the Special Education Endorsement program is available through Belhaven University’s School of Education.
