Evening Student Holli Garza Excels in Special Education Program

Holli Garza is a non-traditional evening student, who is participating in directed teaching as an instructional assistant during her Special Education program. Despite being an off-campus student with a family of her own, Holli has loved being a part of campus life. During her time at Columbia College, she has had the ability to bring her family out to enjoy various activities on campus. Her children loved Boorific, while Holli enjoyed the Campus Tour of the Arts.

Highlights

The Special Education program has a 100% job placement rate for the last 5 years for completers; 100% of our completers pass the licensure exams required for initial certification.
Our unique field experience design provides experiences in Resource and Self Contained classrooms across elementary, middle and high school settings prior to the final semester of student teaching. This gives each student the opportunity to experience diverse multicategorical placements.
A student chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children is housed on the Columbia College campus and collaborates with the Columbia professional chapter 165.
Special education is a critical need area in our state and students qualify for loan forgiveness programs upon entering their classrooms.
The program provides a deep understanding of the role of the special education teacher as a collaborative team member working with families and other service providers.
Special Education majors can also complete additional coursework in Elementary and Early Childhood as electives. This can be used to complete add on requirements as provided by the state department of education.

call me mister logo Columbia College is now a participating school for the Call Me MiSTER® program which aims to support teachers from under-served, socio-economically disadvantages, and educationally at-risk communities as they prepare to become teachers. Learn more on how to apply.

Alumni Spotlights

We're proud of our graduates. They're improving school districts, classrooms, and lives.

Chief Student Support Officer, Rockdale, GA

Dr. Zelphine Smith-Dixon

Dr. Smith-Dixon is a distinguished alumnae with accolades in South Carolina including Tri-County Special Educator of the Year and Vance-Providence Elementary Teacher of the Year. She is the former Georgia State Director for Special Education.

Meadow Glen Middle School, Teacher of the Year, 2019

Anna Brock Stackhouse

Congratulations to Anna Brock Stackhouse for being named as her school-level teacher of the year! Anna Brock Stackhouse is a 2016 graduate of Columbia College. She attended the evening college for her undergraduate degree in Special Education.

After Graduation

There is a critical need for Special Education teachers in South Carolina. School districts reported 621 vacant teaching positions at the beginning of the 18-19 school year. This is a 16% increase compared to vacancies reported at the beginning of the 2017-18 school year and a 29% increase compared to 2016.

First year South Carolina Teacher Pay begins in the range of $35,000 - $40,000, with signing bonuses of up to $5,000 for Special Education teachers in some districts. Average South Carolina Teacher Pay 2018: $50,050.

Job Placements

Visit any school district in SC and you can find a dedicated Columbia College alumnae. Midlands districts include:

Lexington,
Richland,
Kershaw,
Sumter, and
Fairfield counties.

Columbia College alums are also employed in various roles with district administrators, early intervention providers, and private schools.