Teacher Academy of Maryland
The Teacher Academy of Maryland (TAM) is a Career and Technology Education (CTE) program of study that seeks to address the persistent teacher shortage challenge by creating a pipeline of teacher candidates.
High school students start the TAM program of study in tenth grade and complete a four-course sequence that ends in twelfth grade. The courses in the TAM program of study are: Human Growth and Development through Adolescence, Teaching as a Profession, Foundations of Curriculum and Instruction, and the Education Academy Internship. The four TAM courses give students early exposure to the teaching profession. TAM students also have the potential to earn three college credits while still in high school provided they attend a higher education institution that awards such credits.
TAM prepares students for further education and careers in the education field such as:
- Child welfare social worker
- Childcare services
- Children's book author
- College instructor
- Community organization leader
- Counselor
- Education administrator
- Industry facilitator/trainer
- Librarian/media specialist
- Preschool/elementary/secondary teacher/director
- Recreation leader
- Researcher
- Sociologist
- Teacher's assistant
Towson University’s Role
Towson University is the affiliate university for the TAM. As such, TU continues to assume responsibility for planning and implementing relevant, high quality, sustained professional development opportunities for TAM educators. TU works in collaboration with the Maryland State Department of Education, the University System of Maryland, and the TAM state-wide advisory committee to market, implement and upgrade the TAM program of study.