Maryland colleges team up to address teacher shortages

BALTIMORE – Notre Dame of Maryland College introduced a joint program with St. John’s Faculty in Annapolis to deal with the crucial trainer scarcity in Maryland and throughout the nation.

So as to train in Maryland public colleges, it’s important to have a Bachelor’s Diploma and full an educator preparation program for certification.

Now, academics can full that program whereas on a fast-track to a Grasp’s Diploma.

“I like the subject material. I like working with college students of that age,” mentioned Jon McKenney, a graduate scholar at St. John’s Faculty.

St. John’s Faculty Graduate Institute and Notre Dame of Maryland College partnered to determine a brand new joint Grasp’s-level instructing certification.

This system permits graduate college students like McKenney to earn a Liberal Arts schooling certificates by St. John’s Faculty and a Grasp of Arts in Instructing Diploma from Notre Dame in simply two years, which might certify them to show in Maryland Public Colleges.

“We have had many public college educators as college students within the Graduate Institute, and we have despatched academics into unbiased and constitution colleges all through america, however we have been unable to ship academics straight into instructing in Public Ok-12 schooling, that’s, till now,” mentioned Emily Langston, Graduate Program Affiliate Dean.

NDMU President Mary Lou Yam saids the partnership is supposed to deal with the trainer scarcity in Maryland and nationwide.

“Whereas trainer vacancies proceed to extend, complete enrollment in Maryland’s schooling preparation applications has declined 33% since 2012,” Yam mentioned.

McKenney taught center and highschool college students at an Impartial College in Virginia for the previous two years earlier than enrolling in St. John’s Ggraduate Institute.

“I used to be planning on returning to instructing at unbiased or constitution colleges however this partnership has opened up an entire new avenue of getting into the general public college system,” McKenney mentioned.

The concept is that academics could also be extra inclined to enroll in an schooling preparation program, which is required to show in Maryland Public Colleges, if they’ll earn a Grasp’s diploma on the similar time.

“It will likely be a lot quicker than doing the 2 individually,” McKenney mentioned.

This system may even incrase the pool of highly-educated candidates to fill trainer vacancies.

“We’re significantly proud that we will assist public colleges of their seek for good academics and nice vitality within the classroom,” mentioned Nora Demleitner, President of St. John’s Faculty in Annapolis.

The St. John’s Faculty Graduate Institute is now accepting functions for the summer season and fall phrases of 2023, in addition to spring 2024.