Qualifications for teaching in the US

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tim626
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2014 1:51 am

Qualifications for teaching in the US

Post by tim626 »

Hello, hopefully this is the right forum for this question.

I'm a US citizen. My fiancee is a middle school science teacher from India. We met and are currently living in Dubai, UAE, where she is teaching at an International school. However, we are planning to shift to the US after we get married and her green card is approved (will likely take about a year). We are trying to consider how she could obtain the necessary qualifications for teaching in the US once we arrive.

She is planning on taking the TOEFL test soon, which should be a good first step.

I think she will probably have to attend a university in the US to get her teaching certification there. She already has a Bachelor's, Master's, and B.Ed from India, but I don't believe these degrees will be recognized when applying for a US certification.

My main question centers on what she can do while still living in UAE. Is there any online or distance learning course or degree program that she may be able to pursue, to get a jump on things before relocating to the US?

Any input would be greatly appreciated. I'd be happy to answer questions if more info or detail is needed. Thanks in advance.
Micky
Posts: 62
Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2013 9:03 am

Re: Qualifications for teaching in the US

Post by Micky »

I would venture to say that her degrees will be worth something, as I just read an article about the state of Arizona hiring Filipinos and Indians to fill their teacher shortages as they most have the requirements needed to become certified from their home countries. Each state will be different so the only way to be certain is to send in her transcripts to the proper authorities in the state you want to teach in.

There are various online universities that offer degrees that lead to certification with University of Phoenix and Western Governors University. WGU will not allow her to enroll until she would have her green card and live in the US, but I think University of Phoenix will. I am also sure there are many more out there.

I would first contact the state credentialing agency in state you wish to teach before applying to a university because if her degrees from India are in education I would think she would get some credit for that.
MIS
Posts: 35
Joined: Sun Oct 20, 2013 6:57 pm

Re: Qualifications for teaching in the US

Post by MIS »

Why is she taking the TOEFL? That doesn't really carry much weight in the US, especially in public education. Not sure it will benefit her much at all.
tim626
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2014 1:51 am

Re: Qualifications for teaching in the US

Post by tim626 »

Micky wrote:
> I would venture to say that her degrees will be worth something, as I just
> read an article about the state of Arizona hiring Filipinos and Indians to
> fill their teacher shortages as they most have the requirements needed to
> become certified from their home countries. Each state will be different so
> the only way to be certain is to send in her transcripts to the proper
> authorities in the state you want to teach in.
>
> There are various online universities that offer degrees that lead to
> certification with University of Phoenix and Western Governors University.
> WGU will not allow her to enroll until she would have her green card and
> live in the US, but I think University of Phoenix will. I am also sure
> there are many more out there.
>
> I would first contact the state credentialing agency in state you wish to
> teach before applying to a university because if her degrees from India are
> in education I would think she would get some credit for that.

Thanks for the advice, I will look into that. We are moving to New Jersey by the way. I will see if I can speak to someone at the credential agency.

MIS wrote:
> Why is she taking the TOEFL? That doesn't really carry much weight in the
> US, especially in public education. Not sure it will benefit her much at
> all.

If she is planning to study or earn a degree in an American university, I assume she would need TOEFL to gain admission?
shadowjack
Posts: 2138
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am

Re: Qualifications for teaching in the US

Post by shadowjack »

Tim,

first off, congratulations on meeting the love of your life. Seriously, I think it is wonderful.

Second, she should check out teach now out of Washington DC (DC certification) or Teacher Ready out of Florida. Both can be done NOW, the first one does not require US citizenship or residency, but I am not sure about the second.

Teach Now costs about 6,000 for the one year. It is intensive.

Good luck on all counts!

shad
tim626
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2014 1:51 am

Re: Qualifications for teaching in the US

Post by tim626 »

shadowjack wrote:
> Tim,
>
> first off, congratulations on meeting the love of your life. Seriously, I
> think it is wonderful.
>
> Second, she should check out teach now out of Washington DC (DC
> certification) or Teacher Ready out of Florida. Both can be done NOW, the
> first one does not require US citizenship or residency, but I am not sure
> about the second.
>
> Teach Now costs about 6,000 for the one year. It is intensive.
>
> Good luck on all counts!
>
> shad

Hi shad, thanks so much for the kind words and helpful insights. We will check into both of those options. :-)

By the way, we heard back from the New Jersey Department of Education, they sent some very useful info on getting her credentials evaluated, along with the exact requirements for certification. Thanks to all who replied to this thread. :-)
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