International Teachers University (LinkedIn page) is an online graduate institution based in Washington, D.C., offering a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree designed for working teachers and career changers worldwide. The institution is licensed by the Higher Education Licensure Commission in Washington, D.C., and is pursuing candidacy for regional accreditation with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Dr. Kevin Ruth – a member of International Teachers University’s Board of Directors, Executive Director of the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools, Commissioner for the Distance Education Accrediting Commission, and adjunct faculty member at Lehigh University – to learn more about his perspective on teacher education, the institution’s mission, and the future of the field.
Dr. Kevin Ruth’s Background
Could you tell me more about your background? Dr. Ruth said:
“My career has been driven by a belief that education is the most powerful tool we have to change the world — and that belief has taken me to more than 40 countries over 28 years. I started out in love with language — French, German, and eventually seven languages in total — and with the way literature forces you to inhabit perspectives that are not your own. That curiosity took me through a PhD in Comparative Literature at Rutgers, and into classrooms where I realized that the most profound act of teaching isn’t just transferring knowledge, it’s expanding the range of what a person believes is possible for themselves. I then led ECIS, a global organization for over 400 independent and international schools in 100 countries, as Chief Executive Officer. More recently, I served as President of a fully accredited online graduate school of education serving over 6,000 students and alumni across 150 countries. That experience showed me both the strong global demand for quality teacher preparation and the need to be innovative in program delivery to meet the contextual needs of all the current and potential teachers out there.”
ITU’s Mission
What drew you to ITU and its mission? Dr. Ruth shared:
“What attracted me to ITU was the alignment between its mission and something I’ve long been passionate about: making high-quality teacher education accessible to anyone, anywhere. The traditional model of teacher preparation is geographically and economically exclusionary. There are millions of passionate, capable people around the world who want to teach but face structural barriers to getting credentialed. ITU is built around the idea that those barriers don’t have to exist. That’s a mission I can get behind completely.”
“In my leadership roles, I’ve seen firsthand what happens when you remove the friction from teacher preparation. People step up. Schools improve. Communities benefit. ITU is pursuing that same outcome at scale.”
“As a society, we spend enormous energy debating curriculum reform, governance structures, school funding, and technology adoption — and all of that matters. But very little of it lands well if the person standing in front of students on a Tuesday morning isn’t equipped, inspired, and supported. The teacher is still the most powerful variable in the learning equation, and teacher preparation is where we either get that right or we don’t. Building that infrastructure is the core principle at ITU & it drives every decision we make.”
Problem Being Addressed
What is the core problem ITU addresses? Dr. Ruth pointed out:
There is a global teacher shortage (approximately 300,000 in the United States alone) that will not resolve itself through conventional means. The pipeline for new teachers is constrained by the cost, geography, and rigidity of traditional credentialing programs. At the same time, the demand for qualified educators, particularly in underserved communities and
international settings, is growing. ITU exists to close that gap by offering a rigorous, genuinely flexible pathway for teacher preparation and credentialing. We’re not cutting corners on quality. We’re removing the unnecessary barriers that have nothing to do with whether someone will be an effective teacher.
Core Offerings
What are ITU’s core offerings? Dr. Ruth explained:
“International Teachers University offers a fully online Master of Education degree with four specializations, designed for working adults and career changers — people who have the knowledge and the drive to teach but can’t step away from their lives to pursue a traditional on-campus program. The M.Ed. is the core offering, and it’s priced to be accessible, which is a deliberate institutional choice.”
“ITU’s program is exclusively for practicing educators. The curriculum is built around practical, classroom-ready skills. The four specializations — English Language and Literacy.”
“Mathematics and Numeracy, Early Years and Primary, and Teaching Specialist Subject — map directly to the subject leadership roles international schools hire for.”
“Students move through the program in cohorts, which creates a collaborative learning environment even in a fully online setting. The model is designed to produce teachers who are not just credentialed but genuinely prepared for the realities of today’s classrooms.”
Technology Sharpening The Approach
How is technology shaping ITU’s approach? Dr. Ruth pointed out:
“Right now, the most significant shift happening in K-12 education is the way students learn, the way content is delivered, and, as a result, the way teachers need to plan and assess is being fundamentally reshaped by AI. Most M.Ed. programs in the US were designed before the AI shift became undeniable. They have strong pedagogy, strong faculty, and strong academic standing. What they do not have is a curriculum that was built with AI integration as a foundational principle — not an afterthought.”
“ITU’s M.Ed. was designed after this shift. Generative AI is not a module added to an existing curriculum. It is integrated into how every topic in the program is taught and applied. When you study lesson planning in this program, you study it through an AI-informed lens. When you study assessment, you study it in a world where AI exists. When you study leadership, you study what it means to lead a school navigating this transition. The goal is always to produce better teachers, and technology serves that noble purpose.”
Challenges Faced
Have you faced any challenges in this space? Dr. Ruth acknowledged:
“The first is perception. Online education has carried a stigma in some quarters, and while it’s increasingly out of touch with the evidence, changing minds takes time. The data on outcomes from well-designed online programs — completion rates, employment outcomes, employer satisfaction — is strong and getting stronger.”
“The second is regulatory complexity. Teacher credentialing requirements vary significantly by state and country, and navigating that landscape while maintaining a scalable, consistent program requires real expertise. These are solvable problems, and they’re problems worth solving.”
Milestones
What milestones stand out to you? Dr. Ruth cited:
“International Teachers University’s U.S. market launch is a significant milestone. We’re bringing a globally informed approach to teacher preparation into one of the world’s largest and most complex education markets — one where the teacher shortage is acute.”
“Launching the M.Ed. with four distinct specializations — English Language and Literacy, Teaching Mathematics and Numeracy, Early Years and Primary Education, and Teaching Specialist Subject — is also meaningful. Each combines eight core pedagogy courses with two specialization-specific courses and an action research capstone.”
“ITU’s Board includes leaders with extensive expertise in international education, accreditation, and institutional governance — laying a foundation for long-term, sustainable growth.”
Differentiation From Other Teacher Preparation Programs
What differentiates International Teachers University from other teacher preparation programs? Dr. Ruth affirmed:
“Most teacher preparation programs were built for a different era — anchored to a single campus, a rigid schedule, and the assumption that every candidate lives nearby. That model leaves out millions of people worldwide who have the knowledge and the drive to teach but can’t relocate or pause their lives to get credentialed. International Teachers University was designed without those constraints. The program is global in perspective, flexible in how it’s delivered, and serious about producing teachers who are prepared from day one — not just credentialed on paper. We also bring a level of international institutional credibility and governance expertise to online teacher education that is not always present in this space.”
“We’ve also been deliberate about governance and institutional leadership. Our Board brings real depth in international education, accreditation, and university administration, and that matters. It matters to the students choosing where to invest their time and money, and it matters to the schools and districts that will ultimately hire our graduates.”
Future Goals
What are International Teachers University’s goals looking ahead? Dr. Ruth concluded:
“The opportunity for ITU is substantial. The global teacher shortage is not a niche problem; it is one of the defining challenges of this decade, and it intersects with every other issue we care about as a society, from economic mobility to equity to the long-term health of democratic institutions. ITU is positioned to be a meaningful part of the solution. Over the next several years, I want to see the institution grow its reach, deepen its impact, and become recognized as the gold standard for online teacher credentialing worldwide. The mission is too important for anything less.”
