by Sandra Huffman ‘86
What began as a two-year approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has turned into a 40-year success story as Wilson’s Teacher Certification Pathways (TCP) continues to shine as a beacon of opportunity for aspiring educators. Approved in May 1985 as the Teacher Intern Program (TIP), TCP has adapted to meet society’s evolving education needs.
Luke Reed TCP Completer ‘22, Secondary English Certification, teaching at Shippensburg Area High School
In 1985, Wilson’s TIP originated in response to former Pennsylvania Governor Richard L. Thornburgh’s “Agenda for Excellence,” a statewide initiative addressing nationwide teacher shortages. The Governor recommended a one-year teacher apprenticeship program, overseen by local teams, who then recommend teacher certification. It offered a different path to certification for those with a bachelor’s degree and relevant life experience and allowed students to teach full time while completing academic requirements. This approach, first introduced by the Pennsylvania Department of Education in 1972, helped many professionals successfully transition into teaching careers and gave Wilson another success story.
In its early years, Wilson’s Teacher Intern Program offered eight subject areas—biology, chemistry, English, Spanish, French, German, Latin, or social studies—and saw strong initial interest by holding classes at the Wilson campus in Chambersburg and at the Harrisburg Area Community College. In 1988, the Public Opinion newspaper reported that over 40 adults attended the informational program about TIP, and that more than 300 adults had asked about it since the program was first approved by the PDE.
By the 1989-90 academic year, 143 students had enrolled, with many already securing full-time teaching positions. The program’s flexibility and supportive structure were key factors to its popularity and effectiveness. Former Wilson program director, the late Dorothea Nill Bowers ’52, told the Public Opinion newspaper in 1989 that they designed the course of study specifically for each intern to augment that person’s expertise. She said, “This program makes it possible for many prospective teachers to enter the classroom in mid-career.”
Over the years, Wilson College expanded the program to include various pathways to certification. By 2008, an editorial in the Public Opinion newspaper considered Wilson the largest provider of a teacher certification program in south central Pennsylvania. Today, former program director Walton Jones, D.Ed. (2002-2014) still expresses pride in the program’s high-quality educators, even stating he’d happily have TCP graduates teach his grandchildren. He emphasized the importance of being dedicated to teaching. As director, he said, “The number one thing I looked for was someone who was sincerely going to approach educating children seriously.”
Under Jones’s leadership, Wilson offered courses both on campus and at off-site locations, including the Army War College in Carlisle and the Cumberland Valley School District in Mechanicsburg. Level I teacher certification was an option in either K-6 or secondary math, English, biology, chemistry, social studies, Spanish, or environmental education, with health and physical education added in 2013.
(l to r) Lynn Newman, director of education & associate professor of education, Amy Watson, coordinator
of field experiences, and Beth Byers, director of the Teacher Certification Pathways program, celebrate the
announcement of Pennsylvania’s first-ever student teacher stipend in April 2024.
Following Jones’s retirement in 2014, the College offered TCP’s leadership to the program’s current director Beth Byers, a former elementary school teacher. Under her direction, the program continued to evolve, including the addition of Middle Level 4-8 in 2014.
In 2016, the PDE approved the TIP for certification in business, information and technology for Pre-K-12. The certification prepares students to teach computer skills-based courses, as well as business-related courses such as accounting, entrepreneurship, marketing, and finance. In 2017, Wilson introduced the Foreign Language Intern Pathway (FLIP) which offered Pre-K-12 certification in foreign languages such as Chinese, French,
German, Japanese, Latin, Mandarin, and Spanish.
Then, in September 2018, in response to the growing demand for teacher-certification programs, Wilson expanded its former Teacher Intern Program and began offering the Teacher Online Pathway, an accelerated, online-only certification program with statewide access. This, along with FLIP and the traditional program TIP, was now under the umbrella of the Teacher Certification Pathways program, its current title.
Byers recalled how David Boisvert, former Interim Vice President of Enrollment Management (2017 to 2020), repeatedly told her the program needed to move online. “He’d say, ‘If you want to grow, you have to go online.’ And I said, I don’t think we have the infrastructure to support that,” said Byers. Ultimately, she agreed with the recommendation and Wilson piloted a few certifications online. The response was overwhelming. “Eventually, we began to offer all certifications online. When the pandemic hit in 2020, all students were forced to go online. After the pandemic, students did not return to the traditional face-to-face program,” she said.
This evolution reflected the College’s commitment to adapting to societal changes and providing flexible learning options for adult students. Wilson’s TCP program is designed to be comprehensive and supportive. It includes coursework, state testing, and a student/intern teaching practicum component. Students can choose between the traditional post-baccalaureate route or the intern certificate option, which allows them to complete the practicum in their own classrooms.
The growth of the TCP program is in its numbers. In 2014, there were 220 inquiries for the year. In 2024, there were 882. Enrollment leapt from 92 in spring 2015 to 457 in spring 2025. Byers attributes the program’s success to three factors—online asynchronous courses, competitive tuition, and the teacher shortage—yet individual attention and the TCP team dynamic also play a crucial role.
First, the TCP application process lacks automation, requiring each applicant to have a one-on-one admissions meeting with the TCP Director because of the individualized nature of the information discussed. Byers explained, “We discuss all aspects, including required courses, payment options, and educational obligations to employers.”
Over the years, the TCP Director has created some efficiencies regarding this process, such as producing videos covering the handbook and explaining tuition. Applicants receive these videos, along with other documentation, prior to the admissions meeting to reduce the length of the meeting from one hour to 30 minutes. This has helped, but according to Byers, these meetings still need to occur and when she interviews 60 people for a sub-term, it amounts to a lot of hours and prep time, including audits and intake forms.
“It’s not like you are building one program: if there are 457 students, then you are building 457 programs. We advertise and market an individualized, customized plan and that’s what they get,” said Byers. “The other day a charter school called with questions. The next day, five of their people were in the information session. That’s how quickly it works. When I first started here, we held these sessions every other month. Now we hold them twice a month, and really we could run them every week.”
The TCP team dynamic also plays a significant role. All team members have teaching experience. They understand certification and provide a positive environment for learning. Amy Fetterhoff, education office manager, has been with the team for almost two years after spending 24 years in the classroom. “When people call with inquiries, she usually doesn’t even send them to me, because she can handle them herself and I think that says a lot,” said Byers.
Byers stays relevant by continuing to supervise student teachers. She can only work with local students due to the time required to travel, observe, have a one-on-one conference with a student, and make the return trip to Chambersburg. This takes about half a day, but she said it helps her see if the tools they are using are effective and it keeps her relevant. She observes TCP students in action, and they also get to see their program director taking an interest in the process.
As Wilson College continues to innovate and expand its Teacher Certification Pathways, it remains committed to providing high-quality education for aspiring teachers. The curriculum contains a mix of undergraduate and graduate level courses. The graduate-level courses transfer into various graduate education programs. Students who are about to finish in TCP often express interest in the Graduate Education Programs. Some of the most popular programs are the Master of Education, the Master of Special Education, or Master of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). By earning a master’s degree, students know they will receive a pay advance in their jobs with the district. “So, they want to get there as quickly as possible,” said Byers.
For Byers, the TCP team promotes a positive culture. She said, “Everyone values student success. We have a common goal and work together to accomplish it.” The program’s success is a testament to both the College and the TCP team, and their ability to adapt to the evolving needs of education.
