Avila Now

October 5, 2022

Avila University Partners with K-12 Teachers Alliance to Lower Tuition, Add Master’s Degrees and Improve Student Access to Online Education Programs

Avila President Jim Burkee (center), Bruce Ranney, president (left), and Joseph Mroz (right), executive vice president of K-12 Teachers Alliance sign the partnership agreement, joined by Avila University leadership team
KTA and Avila Partnership. Avila President Jim Burkee (center) is joined by K-12 Teachers Alliance President Bruce Ranney (left) and Executive Vice President Joseph Mroz (right), to improve student access in online Master's level education programs.

KANSAS CITY, MO, October 5, 2022 – Avila University announces the addition of three Master’s of Art in Education programs and a 30% tuition reduction through a new partnership with K-12 Teachers Alliance (KTA). Developed and taught by Avila University instructors, the online programs start in March 2023. KTA provides enrollment recruiting, resources, and marketing services through direct access to local teachers. 

“For any partnership to be successful, it must benefit and provide opportunities for students,” said Avila University President Jim Burkee, Ph.D. “The missions of KTA and Avila are similar. We both seek to improve student access to high-quality, affordable, higher education and student success.”

KTA is a leading facilitator of graduate education programing at partner universities by focusing on relationship building across 5,499 local school districts in 23 states, including Missouri and Kansas. “At KTA, we always strive to find the best possible partner to help us meet the needs of teachers in a state. Avila University has excellent programs and a commitment to being the most competitive university in Missouri,” said KTA President Bruce Ranney. “We are excited about the vision Dr. Burkee and the leadership team at Avila have developed and their commitment to meeting the needs of teachers with new program development, reducing their tuition to a more competitive level, and working to have the most student-centric admissions process possible.”

Avila’s 107-year history of providing personal engagement and experiential learning is at the forefront of these online Master’s of Art Education programs. Students can expect to receive the benefits of private education at an affordable price and with the flexibility they seek.

The three new education programs

  • M.A.Ed. – Educational Leadership with Principal Certification
  • M.A.Ed. – Special Reading with Certification
  • M.A.Ed. – K-12 School Counselor with Certification

as well as Avila University’s established programs

  • Initial Teacher Certification
  • M.A.Ed. – Curriculum & Instruction

are all accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and the Missouri State Education Department. Avila’s education programs offer a flexible, online format and are taught by academically and professionally qualified instructors who are invested in their students’ success.

“The instructors teaching these classes have real-life experience in these areas of study and can share the application of practice every time they engage with a student,” said Avila University School of Education Chair Natalie Cobb, Ed.D. “Our online courses are built on an expectation of quality and substantive levels of engagement with students from recorded lectures, visual feedback, virtual office hours, and arranged one-on-one mentoring of students during each class.”

Avila’s online Master’s of Art Education graduate programs emphasize experiential learning with multiple start dates throughout the year. Learning is self-paced to accommodate busy schedules, with around-the-clock access to asynchronous courses.

For more information or to apply for these programs, please visit https://www.graduateprogram.org/avila-university/

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About K-12 Teachers Alliance

The K-12 Teachers Alliance partners with non-profit, fully accredited colleges and universities across the country to provide primarily graduate programs to current or potential K-12 educators. Through their array of services, KTA delivers partner institutions both brand and education program awareness in the K-12 community. This exposure typically results in controlled enrollment growth for partner institutions and helps accomplish their mission by meeting the needs of local teachers by providing relevant, well-respected graduate programs to local educators.

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