All student teacher placements in MCPS must have written approval from the Office of Human Resources and Development (OHRD) prior to commencing a student teaching program. This approval process is designed to ensure that student teachers/interns are placed appropriately with Professional Development Schools (PDS). Additionally, since MCPS is required, under the negotiated agreement between the Board of Education and MCEA, to pay a stipend to the supervising teachers during the timeframe of the student teaching internship, this process is a way of monitoring the identified budget for this program and monitoring the number of student teachers/interns that can be accepted into the program. Finally, this procedure provides more consistency in the overall student teaching process within MCPS.
If the student teacher/graduate intern is an MCPS employee and leave is required to complete the student teaching experience, the employee must request unpaid leave for a semester or more in accordance with the provisions of the negotiated agreement between the Board of Education and MCEA or SEIU, Local 500. To apply for leave, the employee must submit MCPS leave form 430-1 along with a lettter from the university/college outlining the student teaching requirements. The leave form must then be submitted to the employee's school principal and/or supervisor for signature. The principal and/or supervisor should forward the documentation to the Employee and Retiree Services Center (ERSC) for review and approval. Application for leave should be submitted at least 30 days prior to the commencement of the requested leave. Student teaching placements may be made in a location other than the employee's place of work. For more information on the leave process, please contact ERSC at 301-517-8100.
In the case of counselor interns, placement is based on the availability of qualified on-site supervisors as well as "intern openings." Every effort is made to honor counselor interns' preferences in regard to school level and geographical area; however, when necessary, placements may be made in a site other than the employee's current work location.
Schools may work with the local universities, with which they have established a professional development relationship, to confirm their willingness to accept student teacher placements. However, it is further required that the universities submit a completed Student Teachers/Intern Assignment Verification Form to Mrs. Sydney Pinkard, Office of Human Resources and Development, 45 West Gude Drive, Suite 2300, Rockville, Maryland 20850 (FAX: 301-279-3813) for approval prior to the student teacher beginning his or her assignment. For further clarification, please contact Mrs. Pinkard at 301-315-7384.