Maryland colleges team up to address teacher shortages
BALTIMORE - Notre Dame of Maryland University announced a joint program with St. John's College in Annapolis to address the critical teacher shortage in Maryland and across the country.
In order to teach in Maryland public schools, you have to have a Bachelor's Degree and complete an educator preparation program for certification.
Now, teachers can complete that program while on a fast-track to a Master's Degree.
"I love the subject matter. I love working with students of that age," said Jon McKenney, a graduate student at St. John's College.
St. John's College Graduate Institute and Notre Dame of Maryland University partnered to establish a new joint Master's-level teaching certification.
The program allows graduate students like McKenney to earn a Liberal Arts education certificate through St. John's College and a Master of Arts in Teaching Degree from Notre Dame in just two years, which would certify them to teach in Maryland Public Schools.
"We've had many public school educators as students in the Graduate Institute, and we've sent teachers into independent and charter schools throughout the United States, but we've been unable to send teachers directly into teaching in Public K-12 education, that is, until now," said Emily Langston, Graduate Program Associate Dean.
NDMU President Mary Lou Yam saids the partnership is meant to address the teacher shortage in Maryland and nationwide.
"While teacher vacancies continue to increase, total enrollment in Maryland's education preparation programs has declined 33% since 2012," Yam said.
McKenney taught middle and high school students at an Independent School in Virginia for the past two years before enrolling in St. John's Ggraduate Institute.
"I was planning on returning to teaching at independent or charter schools but this partnership has opened up a whole new avenue of entering the public school system," McKenney said.
The idea is that teachers may be more inclined to enroll in an education preparation program, which is required to teach in Maryland Public Schools, if they can earn a Master's degree at the same time.
"It will be much faster than doing the two separately," McKenney said.
The program will also incrase the pool of highly-educated candidates to fill teacher vacancies.
"We're particularly proud that we can support public schools in their search for good teachers and great energy in the classroom," said Nora Demleitner, President of St. John's College in Annapolis.
The St. John's College Graduate Institute is now accepting applications for the summer and fall terms of 2023, as well as spring 2024.