TEACHER EDUCATION
at Meredith College
Teacher education is a vital part of Meredith College. We have a proud history of educating students to be innovative teachers who lead and serve in the broader community. Meredith’s education programs ensure that our teachers will be knowledgeable, thoughtful, and prepared to meet the needs of all students.
Statement from the Department:
Students in our schools need and deserve antiracist teachers who are not afraid to teach, learn, and lead the way toward equitable schools and a just society.
Our Teacher Education Programs
Meredith College’s Department of Education prepares students to be reflective practitioners who have the modern knowledge, skills, and values to effectively teach all students. Through internships, field experience, support from faculty, and intimate class sizes, teachers who graduate from the College will have learned to
- Practice global awareness through culturally responsive, inclusive, and connected pedagogy
- Understand the content they teach
- Contribute to student growth and learning
- Exhibit exceptional leadership
The Department of Education has thriving undergraduate and graduate programs that are highly regarded for the accomplishments and leadership of alumni in educating all students effectively. These teacher education programs include NC licensure, Master of Education, Master of Arts in Teaching, post-baccalaureate licensure, early M.A.T., and Teaching Scholars.
Teacher Education Programs
Programs for NC Licensure: Birth through Kindergarten (B-K), Elementary Education (K-6), Middle Grades (6-9), Secondary Education (9-12), Arts (K-12), Foreign Language (K-12), Special Subject Areas, Early M.A.T.
- Students complete a liberal arts major in the field of their choice and, at the same time, pursue a teaching license by completing a teacher education program in the Department of Education.
Licensure Only programs are for women and men who have a bachelor’s degree and wish to become teachers.
Students can do both of the following
Meredith Teaching Scholars, North Carolina Teaching Fellows
- Teaching Scholars offers exceptional experience for aspiring teachers, including
- Two-year internships in one of the nation’s leading school systems
- An Honors core of 15-17 semester hours, including an honors thesis
- Seminars on current topics in education
- Focus on cultural and social events
- North Carolina Teaching Fellows is for those interested in teaching science, math, and special education. Benefits of becoming a teaching fellow include
- $8,250 per year in forgivable loans if they commit to teach in an approved teaching area.
- Unique enrichment experiences.
- Network with the full state cohort of Teaching Fellows at statewide enrichment events.
Master of Education, Master of Arts in Teaching, Post-Baccalaureate Licensure
- Teacher education graduate programs are coeducational.
- M.Ed. students are licensed K-12 teachers who want to develop professionally and succeed in leadership positions within schools or school systems.
- M.A.T. students want to become a teacher but don’t yet hold a teaching license or are pursuing a license through residency.
Post-Baccalaureate Licensure is for students who have a bachelor’s degree in a field other than education but wish to pursue a teaching license.
Elementary education, English as a Second Language, Special Education (General Curriculum)
- For Meredith students in their final year of undergraduate studies who are interested in pursuing a teaching career in specialized areas.
- Students may take up to two specified graduate courses in the M.A.T. program during their senior year.
Why study teacher education at Meredith College?
Meredith College is unique compared to other teacher programs in the area due to our strong reputation, opportunities for field experience in schools, professional development, and unparalleled faculty support.
- Undergraduate students complete a liberal arts major in the field of their choice, while also completing the teacher education program. This leads to a NC teaching license.
- Graduates from Meredith’s teacher education program have the knowledge, skills, and values to effectively teach all students.
- Students in the teacher education program participate in a variety of early field experiences, including tutoring, observing, classroom assistance, small group instruction, and informal assessment.
- Students gain real-world experience by completing a full semester internship as a student teacher with one of the 20 public school partnerships Meredith has in the area.
- Because of Meredith’s unique approach to teacher education, students receive guidance and feedback from education faculty and, in many areas of study, from faculty within their chosen major – doubling the amount of support an undergraduate student would receive from a typical education program.
- Program graduates have a 91% pass rate on licensure tests, attesting to our teacher education program’s quality.
- 77% of graduates are employed in NC public schools within one year of program completion.
- According to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 88% of completers felt they were very well prepared for the real-world of classrooms (CAEP Component 4.4).
- Examples of student success include
- Environmental sustainability major Casey Corpening, ’22, is a Meredith College and NC Teaching Fellow. At Meredith, she learned how to tailor each student’s education to them, and is now applying her strengths to the classroom as a middle school teacher in the Wake County Public School System.
Careers in Education
Teachers play an essential role in the development of future generations. They provide crucial knowledge and education, introduce new topics and ideas, act as role models, influence and shape society, and can improve a child’s life for the better.
Meredith’s teacher education program enriches graduates through academic rigor and integrity, meaningful field experiences connected to course content, and ongoing advising and professional support. Teachers who graduate from Meredith are prepared to meet the needs of every student and their community.
- Potential jobs for undergraduates who earn NC teaching licensure include an elementary school teacher, middle school science teacher, high school biology teacher, middle school English teacher, middle school music teacher, high school art teacher, high school Spanish teacher, and more.
- The average starting salary for new teachers in Wake County is $41,275.
- Potential jobs graduates can get with an M.Ed. include, but are not limited to, education specialist, academic coordinator, educational consultant, curriculum leader, corporate trainer, principal, and more.
- The average starting salary for new teachers with a M.Ed. in Wake County is $46,285.
- Jobs for graduates with an M.A.T. include a special education teacher, English as a second language teacher, elementary education teacher, and more.
- The average starting salary for new teachers with a M.A.T. in Wake County is $46,285.
- Potential jobs for graduates with a post-baccalaureate licensure in the arts include a K-12 art, theatre, or dance teacher.
At Meredith, Beth Garner, ’14, M.A. in Teaching, found flexibility, guidance, and financial support through a FELS grant to achieve her goal of becoming an ESL teacher.
Honors Scholar and dual-sport athlete Kimberly Schuh, ’21, became an elementary P.E. teacher after graduation, a career that combines her interests in movement and education.
As a transfer student Leslie Arreaza, ’19, struggled to find her place at Meredith, but it was through her passion for helping immigrants and refugees that she found her voice and her place at Meredith.
Education News and Events
Meredith’s Office of Alumnae Relations mailed back-to-school packets to show support to teachers, librarians, school counselors, administrators, professors, and other educators as they prepared to start a new school or academic year.
Meredith College mourns the loss of Elizabeth Grimes Droessler, who served on the education faculty from 2010-22 as part of her long career in arts education. Droessler passed away on May 4, 2022. She also served as Wake County Public Schools’ senior administrator for the arts for more than 30 years.
Professor Emerita Wetonah “Toni” Rice Parker has received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest honor for service in the State of North Carolina. The award is granted by the Office of the Governor to individuals with 30 or more years of service to North Carolina.
Contact Information
Heather Bower
Assistant Professor; Department Head, Education
207-B Ledford
(919) 760-8061
bowerhea@meredith.edu
