Masters Certification Program (MCERT)
for Elementary & Secondary Education
Secondary Education Program - Internship Information :
Internships
Full Year Internship:
All secondary graduate interns are assigned independent and/or apprentice teaching duties that span the full school year. Usually this means an assignment of 3 or 4 classes per day; in addition, all graduate interns are expected to be at school for the full day and to participate fully in their departmental and whole-school activities.
Support and Guidance within the Internship
- All secondary graduate interns are assigned a school-based mentor, an experienced certified teacher in the student’s area of certification.
- In addition, all graduate interns receive support during the school year from a university-based supervisor, and a subject-based coordinator who are experienced educators in the area of the intern’s certification field.
- Whenever possible, graduate interns are placed in clusters in a department in a professional development school as part of building a peer-support network in addition to the mentor and university supervisor.
Paid Internship
EDCI, in cooperation with MCPS (Montgomery County Public Schools) and PGCPS (Prince George’s County Public Schools), makes available to selected students a paid internship opportunity for Secondary Education Interns in the disciplines of English, Foreign Language, TESOL, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science. MCERT students in these identified fields interview with MCPS or PGCPS in the late spring, and, if selected, are eligible for compensation commensurate with the level and nature of their independent teaching duties. In return for these benefits, paid interns must commit to two years of teaching for the county they intern in once they graduate and start their careers.
The paid intern is the teacher of record, for 2-4 classes per day, although they are supervised in that work by the on-site mentor and a university supervisor. Additionally, the intern works directly with their mentor, as a teaching apprentice for one class a day.
Unpaid Internships
The unpaid internship option is available to students in all Secondary content areas, including: English, Foreign Language, TESOL, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Art. Unpaid interns are expected to be at school the entire day and to participate as staff members in a variety of school-activities, but they are formally assigned apprentice teaching duties for no more than 2/3 of a school day. Secondary certification unpaid interns apprentice in three to four classes per day for the entire school year under the direct supervision of an appropriate mentor teacher, who remains as the teacher of record throughout the year.