News Release

About 240 of the 750 new teachers in Baltimore public schools this fall are working toward basic certification in elementary or secondary education and master's degrees in teaching, thanks to a partnership among The Johns Hopkins University's Graduate Division of Education, Teach for America and The Baltimore City Teaching Residency program.

The new generation of teachers began studying at Johns Hopkins over the summer. Both Teach for America and The Baltimore City Teaching Residency program have arrangements with Baltimore City Public Schools to recruit teachers, whose teacher education coursework is then provided by Johns Hopkins. Most of the teachers are working toward a 39-credit hour master of arts in teaching degree from Johns Hopkins; the program takes two to three years to complete. In addition to successfully completing their coursework, teacher candidates must also pass the state's Praxis I and II tests to receive their certification.

The Baltimore City Teaching Residency is providing 155 incoming teachers with the skills to become effective instructors and to improve student achievement. Its participants are primarily professionals who are changing careers to become teachers. They come from a variety of backgrounds, including business, public relations, law and social work. While working on their master of arts in teaching degrees, the candidates receive extensive support from Johns Hopkins faculty members and supervisors. The current class is the largest group in the four-year history of the partnership.

Another 85 teachers are teaching in Baltimore City through the Teach for America program, a national corps of recent college graduates from all academic backgrounds who have committed to two years of teaching. The goal of the partnership with Johns Hopkins is to develop teachers who will provide quality education opportunities to low income students.

Through course work and intensive support systems, faculty members at the Graduate Division of Education are helping the new recruits become effective urban educators who can combine their strong content knowledge, with best practices in teaching and learning.

"There is much for a beginning teacher to know about child development, effective planning, instructional strategies, assessment standards, and working collaboratively with others in the school and community," said Elaine Stotko, chair of the Department of Teacher Preparation at the School of Professional Studies in Business and Education at Johns Hopkins. "By working collaboratively with the Baltimore City public schools, Johns Hopkins helps to provide the very important and necessary support integral to the success of beginning teachers and ultimately the academic achievement of the children they instruct."

To speak with the teachers or their instructors at Johns Hopkins, contact Amy Cowles at 443-287-9960.