Preparing Competent, Caring, and Qualified Teachers: a New Jersey Perspective on Teacher Preparation

The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey is a medium-sized master’s level state college with a liberal arts focus, located in southern New Jersey. Stockton has earned high regional rankings for its academic programs and facilities that have led to a growth in student population and campus expansion. Among Stockton’s strategic vision themes is an aim to develop the college’s global presence and to strengthen the global perspectives of its graduates. Efforts have seen success thus far with several new initiatives in place including partnerships with global higher-education institutions. Work with Jeju National University in South Korea has led to collaboration among faculty and students between the two institutions in the past two years. The Stockton Teacher Education Program is a post-baccalaureate degree program that leads to initial teacher licensure in New Jersey. The program is designed to accompany coursework that is taken towards the first baccalaureate degree. This paper provides an overview of Stockton, its teacher certification program and licensure requirements for the state of New Jersey. Details include Stockton’s approach to teacher certification as well as the possibility of future partnership between Global Teachers University and the Stockton Teacher Education Program.