Do More In ’24!: This Month’s Higher Ed Partnership Meetings

The Office of Human Resources and Development provides higher education partnership opportunities to MCPS employees who are seeking teacher certification or licensure, continuing professional development, or who are pursuing career advancement. Register on Professional Development Online. Below, get more information on several upcoming interest meetings:

University of Maryland, Master’s of Education in Mathematics Education
Monday, Jan. 8; 5-6 p.m. 
RSVP on PDO, course #91659

The University of Maryland, College Park is offering a continuing education opportunity for MCPS teachers already certified in elementary education, special education or ESOL—a master’s degree in mathematics for middle grades. These teachers should be teaching or planning to teach in 4th through 9th grade classrooms.

This is a 30-credit, three-year master’s degree program that prepares teachers to become highly qualified in middle grades mathematics. Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. All courses are offered at the Universities at Shady Grove. Classes are held weekly during the school year and twice a week in the summer. Tuition is fixed for in-state and out-of-state teachers at the same rate. The GRE is not required. 

A flyer for the program may be found here. For more information about the program, visit UMD Center for Mathematics Education website or see the program’s Prezi. You may also contact Dr. Beatriz Quintos.

Moreland University, TEACH-NOW
Tuesday, Jan. 9 and Tuesday, Jan. 23, 5-6 p.m.
RSVP on PDO, course #91498

Moreland University's TEACH-NOW certification program helps conditionally certified teachers earn their teaching licensure. This is an asynchronous online program that provides a flexible, affordable and accelerated pathway to certification.

During this information session:

• Learn about the TEACH-NOW program – schedule, learning goals and requirements.
• Complete the application. 
• Learn about the licensing process.
• Meet the Moreland team and an MCPS graduate of the program. 

For more information, contact Marjorie Guadarrama or visit the Higher Education Partnerships website. 

University of Maryland (UMD) Creative Initiatives in Teacher Education (CITE) 
Wednesday, Jan. 10, 4:30–5:30 p.m.
RSVP on PDO, course #87596

Have you considered becoming an elementary teacher in MCPS? The UMD CITE program prepares participants to become general education teachers in grades 1-6. This program is well matched to individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree and want to earn a master’s degree and certification in elementary education. Participants work as paraeducators during the program.

CITE students begin internship experiences throughout the six-semester program and must be willing to work at least two hours a day in the general education elementary classroom with an MCPS mentor teacher. 

For more information, email Theresa Robinson or Carolina Napp-Avelli, or visit the Higher Education Partnerships website.

McDaniel College, Educational Leadership Program
Wednesday, Jan. 10, 5-6 p.m.
RSVP on PDO, course #87534

McDaniel College will host an information session for its Administrator I certification and master’s degree programs. To be eligible, individuals must have three or more years of successful classroom teaching experience and be tenured in MCPS. For more information, contact Susan Flanders or visit the Higher Education Partnerships website.

Notre Dame of Maryland University
Thursday, Jan. 11, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
RSVP on PDO, course #87163

MCPS, in partnership with Notre Dame of Maryland University, will host an information session to review their course offerings. While they will give an overview of all of their programs in the Department of Education, the bachelor’s degree pathway for certification in ESOL or special education and the graduate-level pathway (a non-degree, graduate-level, state-approved teacher education program leading to initial certification in ESOL, special education, math, computer science or Spanish) are the two MCPS partnership programs at NDMU.

For more information, contact Sarah Gruen or visit the Higher Education Partnerships website.

Bowie State University Reading/Literacy Master’s Program
Tuesday, Jan. 16; 4:30–5:30 p.m.
RSVP on PDO, course #91696

This online graduate program in Reading/Literacy Education from Bowie State University leads to a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree. The program is designed to prepare graduate candidates to focus on all aspects of literacy instruction and to complete leadership experiences that prepare for transitioning into the role of a reading specialist. 

Classroom teachers who are not interested in a specialist leadership position may also consider the program to gain current research-based information to assist with effective literacy instruction with a particular focus on racially, culturally, linguistically and socioeconomically diverse students. The program is guided by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), the International Literacy Association (ILA), Maryland Cultural Proficiency, and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards. 

For more information, contact Dr. Jacquelyn Sweeney or visit the Higher Education Partnerships website. A flyer is available here.

Towson University Master of Teaching (MAT) in Special Education
Wednesday, Jan. 24, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
RSVP on PDO, course #90585

Towson University MAT in Special Education is a program designed for employees who are seeking an initial teacher certification in special education. Typically, students may enroll in one of three tracks:

• Special Education – Early Childhood Education (birth-grade 3)
• Special Education – Elementary/Middle Education (grades 1-8)
• Special Education – Secondary Education (grades 9-12)

The MAT in Special Education is a cohort program that follows a specific course sequence and timeframe for completion. For more information, contact Eric Kuhn or visit the Higher Education Partnerships website.

Johns Hopkins University Special Education Teacher Immersion Training (SET-IT) Program
Thursday, Jan. 25, 5–6 p.m.
RSVP on PDO, course #87107

The Johns Hopkins University Special Education Teacher Immersion Training (SET-IT) master’s degree program has two focus areas: elementary/middle school (grades 1–8) and secondary/adult levels (grades 6–12) in special education. For this two-year program, participants will work for MCPS as special education paraeducators during the day and take JHU courses in the evening. A flyer is available here.

For more information, contact Alexandra Shelton or visit the Higher Education Partnerships website.