Helping Public School Teachers Earn Free Master’s Degree
Spring 2020 | By Jalen Bass
Elementary school teacher Kimberly Rougeux 麻豆精品 S�01 麻豆精品 S�19MEd聽had always wanted to earn a master 麻豆精品 S檚 degree. But as a聽full-time teacher and a busy parent, she struggled to聽find the time and resources. That all changed when the聽Lockheed Martin/UCF Academy allowed Rougeux, along聽with 97 other local public teachers, to earn her 尘补蝉迟别谤 麻豆精品 S檚听诲别驳谤别别 for free.
The Lockheed Martin/UCF Academy developed the聽Master of Education in K 麻豆精品 S�8 Mathematics and Science聽program, which is focused on bolstering STEM education聽and retaining current teachers while building the talent聽pipeline.
Last December, 20 Orange County Public School聽teachers became the first class to graduate with all costs聽covered.
Kimberly Rougeux 麻豆精品 S�01 ’19MEd was one of 20 OCPS teachers who graduated in December with a free Master 麻豆精品 S檚 in Education聽in K-8 Mathematics and Science from UCF.
麻豆精品 S淟ockheed Martin invests in master 麻豆精品 S檚 degrees for聽educators because we believe in the power of teachers to聽inspire the next generation of students who will become聽tomorrow 麻豆精品 S檚 engineers, scientists and technologists that 麻豆精品 S檒l聽shape the future of our world for decades, 麻豆精品 S� says Tom聽Mirek, vice president of engineering and technology at聽Lockheed Martin.
The program aims to facilitate Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 goal of聽increasing student math scores, a move that should聽prepare students for what is projected to be a 10 percent聽growth in STEM jobs nationally between 2018 and 2028.
As for Rougeux, a 17-year teaching veteran, she 麻豆精品 S檚 already聽seen an impact in how she teaches.
麻豆精品 S淎 lot of what I learned 20 years ago is not relevant, 麻豆精品 S澛爏ays Rougeux, who 麻豆精品 S檚 teaching her students to understand聽math rather than just memorize it. 麻豆精品 S淭here 麻豆精品 S檚 that aha!聽moment when they realize they understand the concept.聽I tell my students I don 麻豆精品 S檛 want you to have that moment聽in college. I want you to have that now. 麻豆精品 S�
To be eligible for the program, teachers must teach in an elementary school or teach math or science in a middle school. Priority is given to those in Title I schools, which have high concentrations of students in need, and who will commit to continue teaching for at least three years after earning their master 麻豆精品 S檚 degree.
麻豆精品 S淭raining high-quality math and聽science teachers is an investment聽in our instructors as well as [our]聽students for years to come. 麻豆精品 S�Barbara Jenkins 麻豆精品 S�83 麻豆精品 S�86MEd 麻豆精品 S�96EdD, superintendent for Orange County Public Schools