MC

“Together we can change society in the ways that matter most: reducing poverty, increasing economic and social mobility, and producing students who are ambitious and deeply engaged in society,” President Williams said, delivering his inaugural address. “As we prepare students for post completion success, we need mentors and local business leaders to meet us there—to amplify the impact we already have. As we bring more innovation and technology into our classrooms, we need direction from small business owners, industry leaders, and economists about what kinds of job skills are needed.”

Greetings were provided by elected officials Christopher Van Hollen Jr. U.S. Senator, Maryland, Jamin B. “Jamie” Raskin U.S. Representative, Maryland’s 8th Congressional District, Benjamin F. Kramer Maryland State Senator, District 19, Marc B. Elrich Montgomery County Executive, Gabriel I. Albornoz President, Montgomery County Council.

Recently approved Blueprint for Maryland’s Future legislation expands full-day pre-K access so that all children are ready to learn and excel in kindergarten. As a result, MSDE has created a mixed-delivery system of public and private early childhood programs to support families and their young children. A mixed delivery system requires that approved PreK Expansion programs in child care-based centers be staffed with a state-certified teacher compensated with an entry salary that matches the local school system. While many community-based programs employ child care teachers with bachelor’s degrees and several years of preschool teaching experience, these child care teachers are not state teacher certified. MC’s new certification program will address the certification requirement for MSDE’s expanded mixed delivery system for early childhood education programs.

MSDE grant funding will allow the alternative certification program to be provided at no cost to qualifying program participants pursuing certification. The target audience for the MC Early Childhood Alternative Certification Program is early childhood educators with bachelor’s degrees working in approved nonpublic nursery schools or selected candidates that meet qualifications from the local school system. Completers of the MC ECACP will be certified as pre-K to third grade teachers in the state of Maryland.

Montgomery College President Dr. Jermaine F. Williams sent a memo to the Montgomery College community informing them of updated graduation plans for May of this year.

Included in the memo is an announcement that students will be able to invite guests to attend their graduation ceremony, which will take place in-person on May 19th and May 20th. The two commencement events will split graduates by last name (A-L and M-Z).