SHARED MASTER TEACHER JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

The Terrapin Teachers (TT) Initiative at the University of Maryland and Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) invites applications for Shared Master Teachers 

Possible content areas at Northwood High School may include: biology, math, or computer science, and final job descriptions/announcements are expected to be posted mid-February, at which time interested candidates can apply via the MCPS careers website.

The Terrapin Teachers Initiative

The TT Initiative is an innovative undergraduate STEM secondary education certification pathway at the University of Maryland, based on the nationally recognized UTeach model, designed to address the local and national shortage of highly skilled STEM K-12 teachers.  A Master Teacher is a term used by the UTeach model to describe instructors who teach field experiences courses designed to introduce undergraduates to a teaching career.

TT’s mission is to recruit and prepare a diverse corps of STEM teachers committed and equipped to advance opportunities for all children to authentically engage in STEM inquiry through responsive, culturally sustaining, and social change pedagogies.  To learn more about Terrapin Teachers, please visit http://tt.umd.edu.  

The mission of MCPS is to ensure every student has the academic, creative problem-solving, and social-emotional skills to be successful in college, career, and community, regardless of background.  To learn more about MCPS, please visit http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org.

Position Description: 

Shared Master Teachers (SMT), the terminology used by Terrapin Teachers, are in-service teachers who also serve as Master Teachers in the TT program. They are full-time employees in local high schools that split their time between teaching two high school classes (40%), are released in the afternoons, and teach in the University of Maryland teacher education programs (60%). They are experienced teachers who have been recognized for their excellent teaching in STEM areas, are recommended by the principals, and demonstrate the values and commitments of the TT program. 

At UMD, SMTs will participate in the teaching of introductory STEM teacher recruitment courses in the secondary STEM undergraduate teacher preparation pathway. In addition to teaching, the master teachers will serve as mentors to paid interns in the Master's Certification program.

Shared master teachers will contribute to Professional Development Schools (PDS) partnership development. High school teachers at the PDS schools within the school district serve as mentors to undergraduate and graduate teaching candidates during the year-long internship.  The shared master teachers will serve as the liaison between TT, College of Education faculty, and the high school to address challenges that are identified in the school improvement plan.  

In this way, the individuals in these positions serve as a bridge between the TT Initiative at UMD and their high school.  The individuals must know how to access information about the district’s curriculum, school schedules, and other logistics. They must develop and maintain strong personal contacts with other teachers and school administrators. 

Final position details will depend on staffing needs and candidate pool.  The teachers occupying each of these positions will be full-time employees of MCPS.  The selected teachers will retain all pay, benefits, and will accrue years of seniority as employees of MCPS.  This is a 10-month position with the possibility to renew annually for up to 5 years.  TT provides an opportunity for summer work and compensation outside of the 10-month contract. 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Summer 

Summer activities as negotiated may include travel to local, state, or national conferences, participation in TT summer outreach activities (no more than one week in late June), and course development related to TT or high school courses.

Fall and Spring  

The teachers in these positions will work 40% time in their HS and 60% in the Terrapin Teachers program.  These individuals will teach within their subject area at their high school with a workload approximately equivalent to a 0.4 appointment (2 periods), as described by MCPS.  A physical presence on the UMD campus will not be required every day; some telecommuting is possible.  The specific time on the UMD campus will likely vary each semester (and possibly week) and be based on input from the TT Associate Director and/or program co-directors. 

Terrapin Teachers Shared Master Teacher responsibilities (60%) at UMD

  • Teaching and supporting students (40%): These SMT will be the lead instructors for the TT introductory classes  (TLPL 101 and TLPL 102) which explore the profession of teaching through coursework and early fieldwork opportunities.  They may also teach, co-teach, or otherwise support other courses depending on their discipline and the needs of the program.  Master Teachers help students with lesson design and give personal advice that builds strong connections to the program.  The potential TT teaching workload is involvement in 1-2 courses per semester that meet once per week each in the late afternoons and early evenings. This work is highly collaborative with course-level teams who meet regularly to plan, discuss, and revise the courses.   

  • Supporting field experiences (10%):  SMT observe lessons and provide feedback to TT students from any of the courses involving fieldwork experiences.  Observations may include undergraduate and graduate students from a variety of courses within the TT program.

  • Committees (5%): Master Teachers constitute part of the TT Steering Committee as well as other TT/College of Education committees as appointed by the program.   This work includes contributing to making program-related and other decisions that directly shape the goals and orientations of Terrapin Teachers.

  • Program development and other activities (5%): Master Teachers will be expected to undertake other activities related to TT including, but not limited to:

    • Present at local, state, and national conferences,

    • Design and implement local professional development as outreach activities for TT or at the high school, and

    • Write and administer grants.

ADDITIONAL  INFORMATION:  

  • The individuals chosen for these positions will identify an innovation in teaching with the potential to contribute to the building's school improvement plan. Over the first three years, they will pilot this innovation in their MCPS classrooms and share what they are learning with others in their school building and throughout the county. 

  • The position may require travel (distances less than 30 minutes from the UMD campus) throughout Montgomery County and Prince George’s County to work with teachers and students in the buildings, attend meetings with high school teachers and university supervisors to support interns during the year-long internship.  

  • The position provides opportunities for professional development, e.g., local, state, national conferences, enrolling in graduate courses at the University, mentorship. 

 PAY LEVEL - determined by MCPS; For new educators, please note there is a maximum entrance point to the MCPS salary scale (link).

POSITION – For new hires to MCPS, each SMT will be hired as a full-time employee by Montgomery County Public Schools, with approximately 60% of their position involving University of Maryland Master Teacher responsibilities. This is a 10-month contractual position with an initial appointment for up to three years, contingent on satisfactory performance, with options for renewal up to five years.  Negotiated duties during the summer will be compensated by the university.  The MCPS position includes salary, retirement, health insurance, and all benefits of State employees through Montgomery County Public Schools.  The candidate must be a certified teacher or certifiable in the state of Maryland.  

To apply: External (to MCPS) teachers click here.; MCPS teachers click here.

The application date for best consideration is March 4, 2022. Up to one month of summer salary is available in the Summer of 2022 to support collaboration with current Master Teachers and to review course materials. The preferred full-time start date is August 16, 2022 (The first day of UMD classes is August 28, 2022), although this can be negotiated.