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Student tells House Education committee special-education coursework changed her career path
Summary
A Vermont State University undergraduate described how required special-education courses and a forgivable teachers' loan enabled her to pursue a career in special education and argued that teacher-preparation programs should include special-education endorsements to improve classroom inclusion and employability.
Sarah Korkulis, an undergraduate in Vermont State University’s secondary education program, told the House Education committee on May 12 that required special-education coursework shifted her plans and prepared her to work with students with diverse needs.
Korkulis said she transferred from the Community College of Vermont and completed a 240-hour special-education practicum that convinced her to accept a special-education position at a local high school. “Those first special-education classes were incredibly enlightening, and I was really encouraged that the dual endorsement would enable me to increase my odds of employment after graduation,” she said.
Her testimony illustrates one of the committee’s central questions: how to expand the teacher workforce while equipping candidates to teach students with different abilities. Korkulis said her background — two decades of homeschool teaching followed by college coursework — made the practicum work especially resonant and effective.
Korkulis described the practical impact of state financial support on her ability to finish college. She said she was a recipient of a state forgivable teachers’ loan program and called it “enormously impactful,” adding that, at age 48 and working full time while studying, she would not have been able to afford school without it.
Committee members asked about credit transfer and program timing. Korkulis said she did one year at CCV and three years at Vermont State University after transferring; she confirmed the degree she will receive reads “secondary education with special education,” a bachelor’s-level credential that provides a dual endorsement.
Korkulis urged that teacher-education programs include special-education endorsements and more training in universal design for learning so general-education teachers better support students with individualized education programs. “Many general-education teachers, from what I’ve seen, lack an understanding of the basics of special ed,” she said, and recommended structured opportunities for young teachers to learn about special education.
The committee thanked Korkulis for her testimony and noted the broader conversation about financial supports and credential pathways remains central as lawmakers weigh workforce strategies.
