Plainfield, Vt.—Goddard College today announced a new educational partnership to provide master’s level professional development for teachers in the Franklin County Supervisory Union District (FCSUD).
The pilot will enroll up to 20 FCSUD educators from the St. Albans School and Bellows Free Academy in a 3-credit master’s level course of study at Goddard College.
Participating teachers will receive graduate credits and the option to matriculate into Goddard’s low-residency Master of Arts in Education program. The coursework aims to expose teachers to new paradigms in learning and teaching that they can apply directly in the classroom.
“At a time when our Governor, school boards, and policymakers are engaged in exciting and unprecedented conversations about education reform in Vermont, we are proud to contribute to the development of training models that also position teachers to be facilitators in the transformation of our public school model,” said Goddard College President Barbara Vacarr. “This is an example of the kind of higher education/K-12 partnerships that are needed to drive change as we rethink and restructure public education.”
The professional development program is funded by the FCSUD district through consolidated federal grants, and will help the district meet its stated goals to incorporate new and creative curriculum development in its schools.
The program is an extension of Goddard’s long-standing work to advance education in Vermont schools and beyond by providing site-based and responsive programs for teachers.
“Inquiry-based, learner-centered education is the hallmark of Goddard’s pedagogy,” said Susan Fleming, Goddard’s BA & MA in Education Program Director. “When teachers learn to design their professional studies, they are more able to support their students to do the same academically.”
The first course offered to district teachers begins in January and runs through the end of June 2013.
###
About Goddard College
Initially founded in 1863 as the Goddard Seminary in Barre, Vermont, Goddard College later moved to its current Plainfield campus and was chartered in 1938 by founding President Royce “Tim” Pitkin. In 1963, Goddard became the first U.S. college to offer low-residency adult degree programs. Now offering accredited MA, MFA, BA and BFA degree programs from the main campus in Plainfield, Vermont and sites in Seattle and Port Townsend, Washington, Goddard’s low-residency education model offers the best of on-campus and distance education, with experienced faculty advisors, rigorous on-campus residencies, and the freedom to study from anywhere.
Contact
Lauren Geiger Moye
802.322.1732
lauren.moye@goddard.edu
