On Monday, June 15, 2009, the Master of Education Program welcomed Cohort IX to the Elon University campus. The new cohort represents 13 North Carolina school districts, two out of state school districts, and one Latin American country. Students come from Alamance-Burlington, Caswell County, Chatham County, Davidson County, Durham County, Guilford County, Henry County in Virginia, Hillsborough County in Florida, Orange County, Randolph County, Rockingham County, Stokes County, Vance County, Wake County, Winston-Salem Forsyth County, and Trinidad & Tobago. They bring with them a wealth of diverse experiences and backgrounds. They teach in elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools. Some have taught for as little as 1 year and others as many as 18 years. The international student is teaching in the United States for three years as part of the Visiting International Program, and he will share with us his teaching experiences from his native country.
The M.Ed. Summer Cohort program is a concentrated three-year program leading to the Master of Education degree. The program involves two sessions each summer for three years and one online course each fall and spring semester between. This configuration works well for teachers who can take most of their graduate courses during the summer when they are not teaching. It also works well for VIF teachers who can complete their graduate studies during the 3 years they are teaching in the United States. Among the new cohort students, 15 are studying Gifted Education, 14 are studying Elementary Education, and 10 students are studying Special Education. They will graduate in August 2012.