Hi everyone,
I'm looking for some advice about certifications. I'm currently teaching elementary in an IS, but don't have certification. In order to renew my contract I've been told I need to get a state certification. I've looked into all of the online options - Teacherready, Teachnow, etc. and they would work for me, but cost is a major factor at the moment. My home state offers an alternative teaching certificate that could be done for about 1/3 of the cost of Teachnow *but* it would only give me a Beginning Educator Certificate. It is renewable every 3 years, but could not be upgraded the Experienced Educator unless I returned to teach in that state for three years.
I realize that with without the full license, I'm unlikely to find work at a top tier school. However, I'm wondering whether low to mid level international schools would tend to think of any state license as good enough for consideration?
Any advice, especially anyone with personal experience of this kind of situation would be really helpful!
Thanks.
Beginning Educator Certificate
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wrldtrvlr123
- Posts: 1173
- Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:59 am
- Location: Japan
Re: Beginning Educator Certificate
It's not much help but the answer is basically some would take it, some would not. A wider (and possibly more easily answered) question might be which countries would grant you a visa as a teacher with only a Beginner Teacher Certificate? The school question could be difficult to get firm answers on. The visa question might be answered to some extent by googling different countries' visa regulation web pages (although in some cases, they might not really know the difference in certificates).
Hopefully you will get a range of responses from teachers who have found/been rejected for jobs with a Beginner/Initial certificate and from some of the admin types who frequent the forum as to how they would view it.
In my case, I used an initial certificate and 2 years public school experience to get a job/working visa in the 2nd best school in the 2nd biggest city in Egypt around 10 years ago, if that is any help at all.
Hopefully you will get a range of responses from teachers who have found/been rejected for jobs with a Beginner/Initial certificate and from some of the admin types who frequent the forum as to how they would view it.
In my case, I used an initial certificate and 2 years public school experience to get a job/working visa in the 2nd best school in the 2nd biggest city in Egypt around 10 years ago, if that is any help at all.
Re: Beginning Educator Certificate
Another option for you might be to get your state's beginner's certificate and then transfer it to another state. Check to see what states your state has reciprocity with and what the process is to transfer. Some states will just give you the closest version of your original certificate, some will require you do additional coursework, etc. Not all states have a "beginner's" certificate, so you might be able to get one that isn't labeled with such a title. Other states often call the first certificate "provisional" which is less likely to be identified as "beginner". Not sure if this will offer you a solution, but it might be worth looking into.
Response
NH has one of the worst educator credentialing programs. Their renewal process is "eclectic" at best, it will be difficult meeting renewal (though primary makes it a little easier) requirements.
There are three categories of educator credentials: Entry, Professional, Advance. A professional credential is one that: 1) Is lifetime or indefinably renewable, 2) Has no deficiencies, and 3) Has no limits or restrictions on instructional services. An entry level credential does not meet all of those requirements but still allows the holder to provide instructional services (though perhaps with limits). An advance credential is one that has more than those three requirements (often an advance degree, etc..)
The only disadvantage of the NH entry level license is its name. Its not a "temporary" category of credential. While there will be some ISs that will be turned off by it, its a full, valid educator credential.
At some point you will want to transition to either NJ or CA. NJ offers a lifetime certification, and CA a 5 year CLEAR credential that requires no PD.
I would offer the following advice:
1) If you have 2 years of qualifying teaching experience than Connecticut has an initial certification pathway that does not require an EPP/ITT program. You will still need to complete the PRAXIS testing requirements, but you can do these globally. The only costs of this pathway would be application fees and testing. If you met the basic skills waiver (SAT, ACT, GRE scores) then all you would need to take is the PRAXIS 5001 exam ($170) and the CT application fee ($150). The basic skills test would be $150. This route requires no international travel further incurring additional expense.
2) If you do not have the two years of experience and your going to travel to the States consider the NJ CE route, its a lifetime certificate (no renewal) and only requires a weekend long 24 hour prep course, the disadvantage is you would need to be in NJ to do this. The cost is $250 for the course. In addition you have to take the hygiene test in the county or be exempt, as well as the appropriate PRAXIS exams and the application fee ($190).
3) If you pursue the NH certification, you can apply for QTS in the UK, its free, takes only a few minutes and QTS is a lifetime credential that has no renewal requirements. You could also transfer the NH license to NJ for a CEAS that has lifetime validity and does not require renewal. You could then let the NH license lapse and not renew it, or continue to renew it if you wished.
There are three categories of educator credentials: Entry, Professional, Advance. A professional credential is one that: 1) Is lifetime or indefinably renewable, 2) Has no deficiencies, and 3) Has no limits or restrictions on instructional services. An entry level credential does not meet all of those requirements but still allows the holder to provide instructional services (though perhaps with limits). An advance credential is one that has more than those three requirements (often an advance degree, etc..)
The only disadvantage of the NH entry level license is its name. Its not a "temporary" category of credential. While there will be some ISs that will be turned off by it, its a full, valid educator credential.
At some point you will want to transition to either NJ or CA. NJ offers a lifetime certification, and CA a 5 year CLEAR credential that requires no PD.
I would offer the following advice:
1) If you have 2 years of qualifying teaching experience than Connecticut has an initial certification pathway that does not require an EPP/ITT program. You will still need to complete the PRAXIS testing requirements, but you can do these globally. The only costs of this pathway would be application fees and testing. If you met the basic skills waiver (SAT, ACT, GRE scores) then all you would need to take is the PRAXIS 5001 exam ($170) and the CT application fee ($150). The basic skills test would be $150. This route requires no international travel further incurring additional expense.
2) If you do not have the two years of experience and your going to travel to the States consider the NJ CE route, its a lifetime certificate (no renewal) and only requires a weekend long 24 hour prep course, the disadvantage is you would need to be in NJ to do this. The cost is $250 for the course. In addition you have to take the hygiene test in the county or be exempt, as well as the appropriate PRAXIS exams and the application fee ($190).
3) If you pursue the NH certification, you can apply for QTS in the UK, its free, takes only a few minutes and QTS is a lifetime credential that has no renewal requirements. You could also transfer the NH license to NJ for a CEAS that has lifetime validity and does not require renewal. You could then let the NH license lapse and not renew it, or continue to renew it if you wished.
Re: Beginning Educator Certificate
How big of a factor is cost? Could you survive for 8 months making $600 dollar payments? Could you survive for 8 months making $300 dollar payments and take out a $2,400 loan? The money you would make and the doors that would open for you with a solid credential would enable you to pay off that loan fairly quickly. Not to mention, you could avoid the hassle of having to return to the US for three years to upgrade your credential. Or, if you do decide to move back to the US, you will have more flexibility as a fully certified teacher in where you choose to look for work. I would take a year of living paycheck to paycheck to have a credential in hand. It would be worth the period of famine to be able to reap the possible feasts to follow.