University at Albany Hosts Capital Region Master Teachers

ALBANY, N.Y. (December 18, 2013) -- The University at Albany has been selected as one of ten SUNY campuses across the state to host the New York State Master Teacher Program. The program seeks to identify, reward, and support exemplary teachers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects. The program will be hosted by UAlbany’s School of Education.

The goal of the New York State Master Teacher program is to identify, reward, and support exemplary teachers in STEM subjects. (Photo Mark Schmidt)

Governor Andrew Cuomo, in announcing the creation of the program in spring 2013, said, "As part of the state's work to transform our education system and put students first, we are committed to investing in great teachers to educate our students and create a highly-trained workforce to drive our future economy. This program will reward those teachers who work harder to make the difference and whose students perform better as a result."

Instructors who participate in the Master Teacher Program will:

• Engage in peer mentoring and intensive content-oriented professional development opportunities throughout the academic year.
• Work closely with pre-service and early career teachers to foster a supportive environment for the next generation of STEM teachers.
• Receive a $15,000 stipend per year over four years for participation in the program (total compensation of $60,000 per Fellow).

"The UAlbany School of Education is proud to host the Capital Region’s Master Teacher Program," said School of Education Dean Robert Bangert-Drowns. "Master Teachers who participate in our program will have extraordinary opportunities to collaborate with each other and with our education faculty, as well as tap into the University’s deep resources."

The Master Teachers will continue their own lifelong learning through additional academic pursuits and working with fellow master teachers to share best practices. They will also be able to share their knowledge with pre-service and in-service teachers through new mini courses and workshops developed during their time in the Master Teacher Program based on their own interests.

Each region in New York is currently funded to coordinate up to 70 Master Teachers per year. Applications will be accepted twice annually. The deadline for the first cohort coordinated by the University at Albany is January 3, 2014.

Eligible teachers must:

• Be certified and currently employed as a teacher in New York State;
• Have a minimum of four years of experience teaching STEM disciplines;
• Have a current course load of at least 60 percent in STEM disciplines, teaching grades 6-12; and
• Be rated "effective" or “highly effective” on the Annual Professional Performance Review.

"The Master Teacher Program is an exciting opportunity for the UAlbany School of Education to work with STEM teachers from the Capital Region,” said Jennifer Hogan, Master Teacher Coordinator. “I look forward to assisting them as they both further their own knowledge and create ways to share their knowledge with other teachers in their field.”

Interviews for selected candidates will be conducted in February and March. Final announcements of the new cohort of Master Teachers will be in April.

Learn more about the Master Teacher Program. Contact Jennifer Hogan for information about UAlbany's program.

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