Joplin Schools, Western Governors University strike deal

(From Western Governors University)

Educators at Joplin Schools will receive a 5 percent discount when advancing their higher education through WGU Missouri, as part of a partnership agreement signed today.

The agreement will allow more than 1200 Joplin Schools employees to advance their professional expertise affordably while still meeting their work and family obligations. WGU Missouri offers flexible and supportive degree programs at tuition of only about $6,000 a year. It was established in 2013 by the state in partnership with the national online, nonprofit Western Governors University, whose teaching programs are accredited by the National Council on Teacher Education and whose teacher-preparation program was named No. 1 in the nation this month by the National Council on Teacher Quality.

“High-quality, well-prepared teachers are the most important element in our children’s education,” said Joplin Schools Superintendent C.J. Huff. “The partnership with WGU Missouri provides a great path for Joplin teachers who want to pursue higher levels of education while they continue to serve in their classrooms.”

“I’m so excited to be partnering again with the Joplin community and this vibrant school district,” said WGU Missouri Chancellor Angie Besendorfer, who previously served as Joplin Assistant Superintendent. “I see a great opportunity to open new doors for hardworking adults, and by extension their families, through higher education.”

WGU Missouri uses an innovative approach to learning called competency-based education, which allows adults to customize the schedule and pace of their college education, taking advantage of skills and knowledge they’ve already acquired. Students move quickly through material they already know so they can focus on what they still need to learn.

Under the terms of the partnership, employees of Joplin Schools can receive a 5 percent discount on tuition for up to four 6-month terms. WGU Missouri offers 17 teaching certification programs and 14 post-licensure programs at the bachelor’s and master’s level. The new partnership agreement will help current Joplin teachers pursue graduate degrees and will help paraprofessionals become licensed teachers, without putting their busy lives on hold.

The state’s only fully online, competency-based university, WGU Missouri provides full-time faculty members who work one-on-one with students, offering guidance, support, and individualized instruction. While WGU Missouri’s degree programs are rigorous, competency-based learning makes it possible for students to accelerate, saving both time and money. Tuition for WGU Missouri’s teacher education programs, which has not increased since 2008, is charged at a flat rate of $2,890 per six-month term. For more information about WGU Missouri’s teacher education programs, go tomissouri.wgu.edu/education.