Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill Monday that allows the Dallas County Community College District to offer bachelor's degrees in early childhood education.
According to DCCCD, this is part of an effort to make up for a shortage of more than 4,000 early-childhood education teachers in Dallas County.
DCCCD will work with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to develop the program. The accreditation process will take three to four years.
State Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) and State Rep. Helen Giddings (D-Dallas) filed the bills in the state Senate and House of Representatives.
The bill will also allow other community colleges to offer bachelor's degrees in applied science, applied technology and nursing.
