Students push back against ‘pause’ of Drexel University’s elementary education major

From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know! Students and alumni are pushing back against Drexel University’s decision to pause its in-person elementary education major, saying the decision will worsen teacher shortages and undermine community partnerships. Just seven new full-time School of Education students enrolled this fall, said Britt Faulstick, Drexel’s executive director of news and media relations, in a statement sent to WHYY News. The pause comes amid teacher shortages affecting communities across the country. Locally, more than 500 full-time teachers left Philadelphia schools last year, driven mainly by resignations, not retirements, according to an Axios report. At the same time, fewer are joining the profession. Since 2011, the number enrolled in Philadelphia’s teacher preparation programs has declined by 50%, according to Teach Plus Pennsylvania. Current Drexel students told WHYY News that while the in-