The Office of Professional Learning at Montgomery County Intermediate Unit is proud to partner with Martin Luther School to help implement a new plan of action called the Teacher Apprenticeship Program. Developed by the Martin Luther School (MLS) and Cabrini University, the initiative takes current non-certified staff at the Approved Private School, located in Plymouth Meeting and provides them an accelerated Bachelor’s degree track through Cabrini University, enabling them to receive their teaching certification.
Jesse Gluckman and Dr. Donna Gaffney have been consulting with Martin Luther School for the past four years. They have helped the school establish a mission, school profile, and vision that have been fully embraced by the school community. The faculty of MLS is committed to allowing learners to engage in personalized, purposeful learning; to joyfully celebrate individual and collective success; and to respectfully challenge both self and others to grow. Jesse Gluckman, an alumnus and adjunct professor at Cabrini University, knew that the TAP concept was a great fit for the University. Cabrini University believes in education of the heart by encouraging the community to live with purpose and to prioritize social justice. Both educational institutions were ready and willing to make the effort to accomplish that which was previously thought to be impossible – and Mr. Gluckman and Dr. Gaffney were instrumental in orchestrating the connection between the two organizations.
The TAP pathway enabled current staff from Martin Luther school to apply for consideration for the program. After an interview process, ten candidates were selected for an apprenticeship model of certification. Martin Luther School, under Eva Morrison’s leadership, embraced divergent thinking, and led Gemma Services to invest in their employees. The barriers of cost and time were eliminated, by offering a low-cost tuition to the candidates, and by providing opportunities to learn during the workday.
Being able to support this endeavor takes talking about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion beyond just talk. What Martin Luther School and Cabrini University are doing here creates a pathway to teaching that will make the profession accessible to most people.
The Office of Professional Learning is committed to continuing to work with both parties to ensure that the program is supported and obtains the desired results of producing quality educators.
If you are interested in learning more about this program, please contact Jesse Gluckman, jgluckman@mciu.org.
