Southern Maryland Summit
The Teacher Preparation Pipeline
Southern Maryland Summit 2025:
The Teacher Preparation Pipeline
Following the great work from the 2024 Summit, the partners continue their work to develop programs and plans to address the Teacher Preparation Pipeline.
Key areas of the 2025 Summit will include:
Progress and success stories over the past year
Expanded efforts with TAM, Educators Rising, 2+2 Programs, and Registered Apprenticeships
Potential communication tools for attracting and supporting teacher candidates through multiple pathways to licensure
Examining the context and future ideas for retaining in-service teachers through improved working conditions
SAVE THE DATE: Friday, March 28, 2025, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
LOCATION: University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland
Southern Maryland Summit 2024:
The Teacher Preparation Pipeline
On April 26, 2024, roughly 50 participants joined together to discuss the workforce challenges facing our education systems. Participants included representation from Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's County Public School systems, MSDE and AIB, MD Department of Labor, Patuxent Partnership, Maryland Education Association, Towson University, University of Maryland Global Campus, Notre Dame University of Maryland, Coppin State, St. Mary's College of Maryland, and College of Southern Maryland. The event was hosted at the University System of Maryland - Southern Maryland Campus.
This document summarizes the Summit and the work moving forward.
Our key outcomes:
Examine and develop collaborative efforts to address the teacher shortage
Enhance and support the effectiveness of teacher preparation and continued professional development of teachers
How we can succeed:
Bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to engage in a constructive dialogue focused on identifying the key issues and challenges faced by both IHEs and LEAs
Develop a deep understanding of the needs and priorities of each stakeholder group
Identify areas of common ground and opportunities for collaboration
Facilitation was done by Amy Morton of the National Center for Education and the Economy (NCEE) and Strategic Facilitator, supported by the Accountability and Implementation Board, with a focus on Pillar 2 of the Blueprint for Maryland’s future.
For more information, visit: smcps.org/blueprint or contact the Blueprint Coordinators/Teams:
Jeffrey Maher, St. Mary’s County Public Schools, jamaher@smcps.org
Sarah Lorek, St. Mary’s County Public Schools, smlorek@smcps.org
Chris Miller, Charles County Public Schools, cmmiller@ccboe.com
Joe Sampson, Calvert County Public Schools, sampsonj@calvertnet.k12.md.us
next steps from the SOMD summit
Established Workgroups:
HS to Teacher Pathway, co-chairs Alyssa Zumpano (Towson) and Melissa Chew (TAM)
By March 1, 2025, this team will develop a coherent and aligned strategy for attracting our tri-county youth to the teaching profession and engaging them in high-quality, cost-effective teacher preparation within the region that culminates with a bachelor’s degree and teacher licensure. The strategy will leverage existing resources, identify needed resources, and establish the means for implementing and evaluating the strategy.
Conditional Teachers, chair Heather Husk (SMCPS)
By March 1, 2025, this team will develop a coherent and aligned strategy for engaging conditional teachers in job-embedded, high-quality, cost-effective teacher preparation programs that acknowledge and are responsive to the context - including opportunities and challenges - within which conditional teachers function, with particular sensitivity to time and schedule. The strategy will leverage existing resources, identify needed resources, and establish the means for implementing and evaluating the strategy to ensure the programs meet or exceed that which is required for Maryland State Department of Education approved programs of study.
Support Personnel, chair Laurie Mullen (Towson)
By March 1, 2025, this team will develop a coherent and aligned strategy for engaging currently employed support staff in high-quality, cost-effective teacher preparation according to current and projected staffing needs. The approach to licensing support staff will include job-embedded, high-quality, cost-effective teacher preparation programs that acknowledge and are responsive to the context - including opportunities and challenges - within which support staff members function, with particular sensitivity to time and schedule. The strategy will leverage existing resources, identify needed resources, and establish the means for implementing and evaluating the strategy.
Resource Mapping, co-chairs Monica Simonsen (UMD) and Chris Miller (CCPS)
By December 31, 2024, this team will fully inventory and annotate - in a manner that is designed for easy access and navigation - the available and desired resources related to teacher candidate recruitment, preparation, and continuous learning relevant to aspiring, new, and experienced teachers, and the people who support them. The team will pay particular attention to barriers to licensure and career ladder advancement, including financial challenges, and will include in their annotation potential means of removing/overcoming them.
Public Relations, chair Jeff Maher (SMCPS)
By March 1, 2025, this team will develop a public relations and communications plan for attracting and preparing teacher candidates, as well as retaining current educators. Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s County Public Schools as well as higher education institutions that are engaged in teacher preparation and professional learning in the tri-county region will support the plan. The public relations campaign and communications plan will emphasize the unique nature of Southern MD and the value of moving into/staying in the region. The plan will include an implementation and evaluation strategy and a proposed budget with prospective funders identified.
If you are interested in joining a workgroup, please email Amy Morton, amorton@ncee.org.