The M.A. in Community and Teacher Leaders is different from other programs because it allows students to:
- enroll in an affordable cohort model master's program
- complete a master's degree in a approximately a year and a half
- have the option to enroll in a teacher leader endorsement only sequence that consists of five courses (15 credit hours)
- engage in a program that was intentionally designed for developing community and teacher leaders alongside one another
- take classes in a variety of formats (hybrid, evening, Saturdays) with Educational Foundations (EDFN) faculty and community based leaders
- select electives university wide depending on the student's interests and needs
- transfer graduate credit earned outside Northeastern Illinois University
- gather data and present research findings that are of interest to the student
- focus on how community impacts learning and how the teacher leader needs to resource the community to increase effectiveness
Students enrolled in the M.A. in Community and Teacher Leaders will:
- create connections between communities and schools in an effort to form partnerships that benefit all members of the neighborhood (students, teachers, parents/guardians, families, and community businesses and residents)
- build a working knowledge of social justice and critical theory as it relates to curriculum development, schooling, and leadership with schools and/or communities
- connect theory to practice and develop as future community and teacher leaders sensitive to how multiple identities, social location, and circumstances impact youth, educators, and neighborhoods
