This story is part of an ongoing partnership between The Ohio State University Mansfield and Richland Source. For more, click here.
The Ohio State University at Mansfield is offering teachers in the community an opportunity to elevate their career with the Teacher Leader Endorsement (TLE) program starting this summer.
The TLE is a program for teachers in the state of Ohio that can lead to the most advanced license. With four tiers to complete, the Teacher’s Leader Endorsement falls under the highest tier, Lead Professional Educator License Requirements.
With the flexibility for teachers in the community, the program consists of nine credit hours completed in the span of one year online and in the evenings, one class in the summer, fall and spring semester.
“Most of the people who will be taking these courses will be practicing teachers and administrators so they can do a lot of the coursework on their own time,” Terri Bucci, Associate Professor of Mathematics at The Ohio State University at Mansfield said.
The program will be combined with the TLE in Columbus and taught by professors at The Ohio State University as of now, but the goal is for the Mansfield campus to create its own cohort in the future.
“This provides educators in the community a chance to get this training. The same exact training people in Columbus get,” Eric Anderman, Interim Dean and Director at The Ohio State University at Mansfield said.
Anderman has been with OSU for 15 years, moving from department chair of educational studies at The Ohio State University to his current role.
Through his efforts, Anderman was able to identify a demand for the TLE program in the area and worked to make it accessible to those in the region.
“There is a need for it. There is a shortage of leadership in school settings and there is strong demand for it to meet professional needs,” he said.
With the education program switching from a master’s to a bachelor’s degree over the years, implementing the TLE will provide community teachers the opportunity to take graduate courses without having to leave home.
It can be hard to take the next step in a career. The time, cost and motivation to level up is intimidating. The Ohio State University at Mansfield offers students many helpful resources to make working and going to school as easy as it can be.
Fee waivers are accepted through this program. Depending on the district, students could pay up to two-thirds of their tuition fees with the waivers, saving them money and stress while elevating in their profession.
The Ohio State University is a land grant institution, dedicated to its mission of providing advanced studies to all regions of Ohio. Through the TLE program, The Ohio State University at Mansfield has listened to the community’s needs for this kind of education and created an opportunity for those who may not have had one.
The Ohio State University at Mansfield is very optimistic about the program and to watch it grow.
“I think it is going to be very popular and I am really excited about it. People are going to learn a lot and see a positive effect on the school,” Bucci said.
The prerequisites to enroll into the program are to have an Ohio teaching license, a master’s degree in education and have already completed four years in the field.
“I love OSU Mansfield. I love the opportunities it affords me personally and professionally and work closely with the community and with teachers in the area to be able to bring programs like this to other areas in Ohio,” Bucci said.
For more information about the TLE program or to enroll now, click here.
