Leave of Absence Policy

Over the course of the Urban Teachers program, a participant may encounter circumstances that require them to seek a leave of absence. Reasons for requesting a leave of absence include, but are not limited to, birth or adoption of a child, mental or physical health concerns, or bereavement. Urban Teachers is here to support participants throughout the leave of absence process. We encourage participants to seek assistance as early as possible, in order to effectively plan for leave from the program.

A participant’s first course of action in seeking a leave of absence is to submit a Leave Request (on the Participant Portal under the “more” drop-down menu) with a detailed account of their concerns in order to initiate the leave consideration process. This should take place prior to notifying one’s school site of the potential leave of absence. Non-attendance at the clinical site does not constitute an official leave of absence and can be grounds for dismissal from the program.

A leave of absence is granted for a specific length of time, dependent on a participant’s ability to complete program requirements, including coursework, coaching, and clinical responsibilities. A leave of absence cannot exceed more than one year. 

A request for a leave of absence is not automatically granted. Decisions regarding the granting of a leave of absence are made on a case-by-case basis. All participants requesting a leave of absence must complete, sign, and return the developed and finalized leave form to officiate their leave of absence.

While the Site Team will support participants through the leave of absence process, it is important for participants to understand how a leave of absence may impact their ability to complete the program within the normal progression and in its entirety. Taking a leave of absence may impact a participant’s ability to receive the coaching treatment in full, to complete coursework assignments, to be eligible for the AmeriCorps Segal award, or to receive full teaching credentials. A leave of absence may lead to repeating a semester of coursework and coaching. Additionally, participants put their school position at risk when they take a leave of absence. Urban Teachers will coordinate with school sites in the event that a participant must take a leave of absence. However, Urban Teachers cannot guarantee that they will be able to find a new position for a participant whose original school cannot or will not accept them back after a leave of absence.

Please note that Urban Teachers and Johns Hopkins School of Education have separate leaves of absence policies and procedures. Residents and  Fellows in the first two years of the Urban Teachers program (Year 1 & 2) will need to submit the Johns Hopkins School of Education’s Leave of Absence Request form to the participant’s Johns Hopkins School of Education academic advisor after finalizing their Urban Teachers leave of absence. Students must submit the request to be placed on a leave of absence at least two weeks prior to the start of the semester in which the leave of absence will take effect. Students cannot be placed on a leave of absence during a semester in which they have matriculated and any of the course(s) they are enrolled in have already started. Please consult the Johns Hopkins School of Education’s Leave of Absence Policy for additional information.