I am looking for some solid advice on alternative teacher certification options.
I am currently teaching full-time Senior English and an elective course at a well-respected American/AP IS but I do not have a teaching certificate. We moved from the U.S. where I spent the last 10 years as a corporate attorney and my husband worked as a teacher. This summer the school is sending me to AP Capstone certification courses and I will be teaching both AP Research and Seminar next school year. I was lucky that the school I am currently at was willing to hire me without a teaching certificate and experience and I know that will not be the case if we decide to move to another school in another country. I'm wondering if someone has advice on alternative teaching certification pathways available in the U.S. while teaching abroad? I have a B.S. in Business and a Juris Doctorate from two very reputable schools. At this point I have done enough schooling that I am not interested in a full-blown teaching degree. What other alternatives are available for me to obtain a valid teaching certificate in the U.S.? We plan on staying at our current school at least another 2 years so I will have 3 years of teaching experience before a certificate may be necessary to make a move. Do people recommend Teach Now or Teach Ready? Are there states where I can obtain a certificate based on experience and taking an exam? Interested in the path of least resistance! Thanks for any advice.
Teacher Certification Advice
Re: Teacher Certification Advice
Not a ton of advice for you, but check the ECIS website. I know that they have a distance teaching credential program that they (co?)sponsor. Good luck!
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wrldtrvlr123
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Re: Teacher Certification Advice
This thread had some specific advice. I seem to recall that Utah was the go to state for easy certification but didn't really pay attention to the details so don't know if it is helpful in your case. Check this out and maybe our resident certification expert will be along to speak to your specific needs:
http://internationalschoolsreview.com/v ... ady#p44268
http://internationalschoolsreview.com/v ... ady#p44268
Response
In general I see three possible routes:
THE GOOD:
Teach Now and Teach Ready are both distance certification programs that I can recommend. The differences between the programs vary slightly (Cohort/Individual, etc.) with the main difference being the length of field experience and what you have available to you as far as classroom environment. Teach Now is 12 weeks, and Teach Ready is 5 days. They both will cost you about $6K.
ECIS is just a partner affiliate with Teach Now. They also offer a portfolio option for obtaining an IB T&L certificate.
THE BAD:
There are generally three state pathways:
1) Utah (UT) has a entry grade credential (APT, level 1) that requires only completion of a Bachelors degree and completion of an appropriate PRAXIS exam. This credential is renewable every 3 years. The advantage of this pathway is that you can obtain a single certification but it need not be in your degree field, so you could get the secondary English Literature credential by taking the appropriate PRAXIS. The disadvantage is this credential is barely a credential, it has some serious credibility issues, and the PD renewal rate is huge. You would need to plan your renewal strategy continuously if you wanted to maintain it (later on that). You cant add additional fields to this credential, the fees are less than $500, and you can take the PRAXIS exam anywhere (global availability).
2) Missouri (MI) has a pathway that will award a professional grade (Initial) credential with completion of an academic doctorate and successfully passing the MEGA Secondary education assessment. The issue is whether they will accept a JD as social studies. If they do (better than 50%) once you have the Social Studies credential you can add other subject areas such as Literature, etc. This license is renewable every 4 years (and requires about half the PD that UT does). These assessment are only available in MI, so you would need to travel. There is no credibility issue with this credential. Costs would be less than $500, but would require travel.
3) Massachusetts (MA) has a pathway that would grant you an entry grade (Preliminary) credential. You need a bachelors degree and then complete the MTEL exams (at least two one meds/peds and one content exam). This would require travel to MA. You would have the same credibility issues as UT, though better status. However this credential would effectively be a lifetime credential as long as you didnt teach in MA. Costs would be less than $500 but would require travel. It also requires one more exam than both MI and UT.
The goal of any of these three is ultimately not that states credential but using that credential to obtain QTS (the professional educator credential in the UK/England). QTS is a professional grade credential, has no renewal requirements and has lifetime validity. It is also not subject or grade level specific. The application process takes about 15 minutes, with issuance typically within 2 weeks and costs nothing. The US alternatives (CA and NJ) wouldnt allow you to standardize to a higher grade credential.
THE UGLY:
1) NJ has an option that would give you an entry grade credential (CE), the only benefit compared to the previous options is that its truly a lifetime credential (no PD). It however has the same credibility issues as the MA and UT credentials. It also has significantly more requirements that would require you travel to NJ and complete a short (the "weekend") course as well as some other esoteric requirements that include a health exam and PRAXIS. Costs would be $1000 not including travel.
2) The UK has an assessment only route, that assess a portfolio and observation of your teaching. Its a pain, but it would give you QTS directly at a cost of about £2000.
THE GOOD:
Teach Now and Teach Ready are both distance certification programs that I can recommend. The differences between the programs vary slightly (Cohort/Individual, etc.) with the main difference being the length of field experience and what you have available to you as far as classroom environment. Teach Now is 12 weeks, and Teach Ready is 5 days. They both will cost you about $6K.
ECIS is just a partner affiliate with Teach Now. They also offer a portfolio option for obtaining an IB T&L certificate.
THE BAD:
There are generally three state pathways:
1) Utah (UT) has a entry grade credential (APT, level 1) that requires only completion of a Bachelors degree and completion of an appropriate PRAXIS exam. This credential is renewable every 3 years. The advantage of this pathway is that you can obtain a single certification but it need not be in your degree field, so you could get the secondary English Literature credential by taking the appropriate PRAXIS. The disadvantage is this credential is barely a credential, it has some serious credibility issues, and the PD renewal rate is huge. You would need to plan your renewal strategy continuously if you wanted to maintain it (later on that). You cant add additional fields to this credential, the fees are less than $500, and you can take the PRAXIS exam anywhere (global availability).
2) Missouri (MI) has a pathway that will award a professional grade (Initial) credential with completion of an academic doctorate and successfully passing the MEGA Secondary education assessment. The issue is whether they will accept a JD as social studies. If they do (better than 50%) once you have the Social Studies credential you can add other subject areas such as Literature, etc. This license is renewable every 4 years (and requires about half the PD that UT does). These assessment are only available in MI, so you would need to travel. There is no credibility issue with this credential. Costs would be less than $500, but would require travel.
3) Massachusetts (MA) has a pathway that would grant you an entry grade (Preliminary) credential. You need a bachelors degree and then complete the MTEL exams (at least two one meds/peds and one content exam). This would require travel to MA. You would have the same credibility issues as UT, though better status. However this credential would effectively be a lifetime credential as long as you didnt teach in MA. Costs would be less than $500 but would require travel. It also requires one more exam than both MI and UT.
The goal of any of these three is ultimately not that states credential but using that credential to obtain QTS (the professional educator credential in the UK/England). QTS is a professional grade credential, has no renewal requirements and has lifetime validity. It is also not subject or grade level specific. The application process takes about 15 minutes, with issuance typically within 2 weeks and costs nothing. The US alternatives (CA and NJ) wouldnt allow you to standardize to a higher grade credential.
THE UGLY:
1) NJ has an option that would give you an entry grade credential (CE), the only benefit compared to the previous options is that its truly a lifetime credential (no PD). It however has the same credibility issues as the MA and UT credentials. It also has significantly more requirements that would require you travel to NJ and complete a short (the "weekend") course as well as some other esoteric requirements that include a health exam and PRAXIS. Costs would be $1000 not including travel.
2) The UK has an assessment only route, that assess a portfolio and observation of your teaching. Its a pain, but it would give you QTS directly at a cost of about £2000.
Re: Teacher Certification Advice
Wow! This is unbelievably helpful, thank you. I think I will see if I can go the Missouri route with my J.D. serving as my doctoral degree in social studies. I really appreciate you taking the time to spell out my options.