Partnering with the UMBC Department of Education and the Baltimore City Public School System (BCPSS), the Sherman STEM Teacher Scholars Program established the Baltimore Teachers in Practice (BTIP) cohort to support teachers in Baltimore City who are pursuing initial teacher certification through the MAT program at UMBC. Established in 2020, 20 teachers have enrolled in the program and 3 teachers have graduated with full certification and a Masters degree.
This program meets a critical need in the teacher workforce in the region: in Baltimore City, over 500 teachers are conditionally certified and need to complete teacher certification coursework. This cluster of teachers is predominantly teachers of color and those native to Baltimore. Yet, these teachers have traditionally had the least preparation and support in completing teacher certification, according the Final Report of BCPSS’ Black Teacher Retention and recruitment Workgroup. By leveraging UMBC’s MAT program and Sherman Scholars Program model, teachers receive personalized supports and programming while pursuing certification through UMBC’s rigorous MAT program. Students receive merit- and need-based scholarships, direct billing of tuition reimbursement, reduced tuition, extensive advising, cohort programming, coaching, professional support, and academic advocacy.
Currently, conditionally certified teachers in Baltimore City Schools with certificates in secondary STEM, TESOL, and the arts are eligible to apply. To learn more, contact Chris Vick at cvick@umbc.edu.