By: Erik Pedersen, Senior Communications Manager
BALTIMORE – Notre Dame of Maryland University is playing a leading role in addressing the teacher shortage across Maryland, with the School of Education using grant money provided by the Maryland Leads Initiative to offer free tuition and additional funding to prospective teachers from three county school systems.
Notre Dame was awarded a substantial grant from an overall pool of $169 million through its selection as a vendor for the State Department of Education’s Maryland Leads Partner Program. Agreements with Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS), Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) and St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS) will allow Notre Dame to use that grant money to support prospective teachers who enroll in the School of Education’s Accelerated Certification in Teaching (ACT) or Education/Liberal Studies bachelor’s program.
“This grant will allow us to expand our programs to audiences that we might not otherwise have,” said Dr. Kathryn Doherty, dean of NDMU’s School of Education. “And it also provides full tuition funding, book money and fee reimbursements for students. It’s an incredible opportunity for them, and it allows us to fulfill our mission of using education to transform lives.”
With the ongoing shortage of educators both in Maryland and across the United States, many school districts are hiring conditional teachers, who work in the classroom immediately with a requirement to complete all applicable degrees and certifications within a set period of time.
“Everybody is coming in with different experiences,” said Dr. Jeffrey Maher D’12, Chief Strategic Officer for SMCPS. “Some have a bachelor’s degree in another area who are transitioning to teaching as a second career. Some have worked for the district as a paraprofessional, a support professional who is now interested in becoming a teacher. There’s not one particular example that says, this is what a new teacher looks like today.”
One thing that unites the group is a strong dedication to their new profession, spending the work day in their new positions as educators before reversing roles and becoming students again in the evening to achieve full certification.
“We are extremely impressed with the fortitude of our prospective teachers who have been serving in our schools and supporting PGCPS students for many years,” said Dr. Pearl Harmon, Director of Human Resources Operations and Staffing for PGCPS. “Their commitment to personal and professional growth speaks volumes about their passion for children and willingness to do what is needed to become a fully certified teacher.”
Teaching candidates are first identified through a variety of recruitment sessions hosted by the school systems. Those that advance through the highly competitive selection process are then approved to apply for the applicable certification or degree program at NDMU.
Anne Arundel and St. Mary’s County students began their coursework earlier this semester, while Prince George’s County expects to have its first cohort start on October 24. AACPS students will complete their requirements solely through virtual classes, while PGCPS will be offered courses in a hybrid format and SMCPS will have a selection of courses taught on site by a strong existing pool of associate faculty members.
“We use a synchronous learning model for our online classes, where students are in a virtual classroom but they’re meeting face-to-face,” Dr. Doherty said. “So they are still able to get that personal connection without having to go out after a long day at work teaching in your own classroom. This has been a very popular option for our graduate level classes because it meets the needs of working adults.”
After NDMU was selected as a vendor for the Maryland Leads Partner Program, it was up to the school systems to choose the institution to assist in their teacher recruitment and development strategies. With the School of Education’s reputation for developing top teachers, and its extensive history collaborating with schools across the state, there was immediate interest from counties to work with NDMU for the Leads initiative.
“PGCPS has a long-standing successful partnership with NDMU in working with our support personnel,” Dr. Harmon said. “Our Recruitment and Retention team had the opportunity to attend several recruitment events, where we learned about the University curriculum and saw first hand their commitment to student achievement. With a history of proven success, it was only natural that we considered Notre Dame for the Maryland Leads Partner Program.”
“A number of our teachers at SMCPS have already gone through the program at Notre Dame,” Dr. Maher added. “The courses are high quality, so we know that they’re getting the knowledge they need to be successful. We’re thrilled to partner again with Notre Dame to help provide comprehensive support for our new teachers.”
Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.
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