Canadian Certification
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chilagringa
- Posts: 335
- Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2011 7:19 pm
Canadian Certification
I'm thinking of adding another provincial certification, because my own province makes it a pain to renew if you're not actually teaching there. Maybe even impossible. I'm thinking of Ontario (more expensive, but I like all the AQ courses) or BC. Or does it even matter what province? If I add an Ontario certification and my old provincial certification expires, is that even a big deal?
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shadowjack
- Posts: 2140
- Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am
Re: Canadian Certification
Just remember that Ontario has it's own set of hoops to jump through.
Your BC teacher's certificate never really "expires". If you can prove that you have been teaching at accredited schools when you return to BC to teach, you just reactivate it. It is not something you are required to renew or you cannot teach. You only need to renew it if you are teaching in BC.
The gold standard is Alberta. If you are fortunate enough to teach for 2 straight years in Alberta, you receive your permanent teaching certificate, which says permanent right on it. End of story, no post script added.
But you have to teach in Alberta for two years...
Hope this helps,
shad
Your BC teacher's certificate never really "expires". If you can prove that you have been teaching at accredited schools when you return to BC to teach, you just reactivate it. It is not something you are required to renew or you cannot teach. You only need to renew it if you are teaching in BC.
The gold standard is Alberta. If you are fortunate enough to teach for 2 straight years in Alberta, you receive your permanent teaching certificate, which says permanent right on it. End of story, no post script added.
But you have to teach in Alberta for two years...
Hope this helps,
shad
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chilagringa
- Posts: 335
- Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2011 7:19 pm
Re: Canadian Certification
What do you mean by hoops? I thought it was "pay your 200 bucks" every year and you're good for ON?
I'm on an AB interim certificate, but if I get a decent offer overseas, I will want to leave before I'm on permanent. Because of the nature of the job market right now it will be three school years before I get my permanent, and I'm not sure I will be around that long. It seems impossible to renew an interim.
With BC, can I just pay the yearly fee and them I'm good to go? Wouldn't I need an active certificate to teach abroad?
I'm on an AB interim certificate, but if I get a decent offer overseas, I will want to leave before I'm on permanent. Because of the nature of the job market right now it will be three school years before I get my permanent, and I'm not sure I will be around that long. It seems impossible to renew an interim.
With BC, can I just pay the yearly fee and them I'm good to go? Wouldn't I need an active certificate to teach abroad?
Re: Canadian Certification
Yes, pay your $165 in Ontario every January and you're good to go. No expiry.
Response
You are required to renew your BC/ON teaching credential, your certificate validity depends what the teaching agency college reports, not what many Canadians in the past "felt" made their certificate valid.
PEI is a better choice than AB, the PEI academic teacher certificate does not expire unless revoked, their is no PD requirement. You can renew a PEI interim license as well. PEI is also one of the most affordable, as there is no associated annual membership fee requirement, its a one time (assuming no upgrades in the future) $100 and done.
Internationally, unless your at one of the Canadian curriculum schools, what province your certificate is from doesnt matter.
PEI is a better choice than AB, the PEI academic teacher certificate does not expire unless revoked, their is no PD requirement. You can renew a PEI interim license as well. PEI is also one of the most affordable, as there is no associated annual membership fee requirement, its a one time (assuming no upgrades in the future) $100 and done.
Internationally, unless your at one of the Canadian curriculum schools, what province your certificate is from doesnt matter.
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chilagringa
- Posts: 335
- Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2011 7:19 pm
Re: Canadian Certification
Hmm. Good to know. Maybe I will apply to PEI as my emergency backup certification. If all else fails, I'll pull out my PEI card!
I might not go abroad next year anyways, but if something comes up I want something up my sleeves.
I might not go abroad next year anyways, but if something comes up I want something up my sleeves.
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shadowjack
- Posts: 2140
- Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am
Re: Canadian Certification
PsyGuy, I hold a BC Certificate. It isn't active, but the moment I send my money, it is active. In that sense, it doesn't expire. NONE of the schools I have been employed with have asked if I have an "active" certificate and FYI there is NO expiration date on my certificate, because as long as I am teaching in a certified school in the world, it won't expire.
But Alberta is better because right on it is states permanent certificate and I don't have to pay any money to make it so. Saves me $1650.00 every ten years! haha
But Alberta is better because right on it is states permanent certificate and I don't have to pay any money to make it so. Saves me $1650.00 every ten years! haha
Discussion
@shadowjack
If its not active then its not valid, and your not a teacher. It doesnt matter what you think,or want it to be. Your simply taking advantage of laziness on the part of schools. I get that your license costs are high, but that doesnt change reality. If on any given day a school or regulatory authority were too audit the validity of your license they would say its inactive, and your an unlicensed teacher, and if we were to consult the BC Teacher Regulation Branch if your inactive license was legally acceptable to provide instruction at that time in a provincial regulated school their answer would be no. You are deluding yourself if you think otherwise.
Expired doesnt mean active you seem to believe that one equals the other and it doesnt. Having permanent inscribed across the face of the certificate means nothing more than a lack of expiration date on any other certificate. You want to think it means more, but it doesnt. If AB requires a procedure including the payment of an annual membership fee to have an active certificate and be eligible to provide instructional services, than having "permanent" or anything else on the face of your certificate does not mitigate its validity.
If you have an issue with the costs of membership in your profession, take that up with your MP, but your dissatisfaction does not abrogate your responsibility, no does it create exemption to your provincial requirements.
PEI is better than AB because it doesnt expire, and there is no further annual membership required to remain active. You dont have to pretend its active because it is active.
If its not active then its not valid, and your not a teacher. It doesnt matter what you think,or want it to be. Your simply taking advantage of laziness on the part of schools. I get that your license costs are high, but that doesnt change reality. If on any given day a school or regulatory authority were too audit the validity of your license they would say its inactive, and your an unlicensed teacher, and if we were to consult the BC Teacher Regulation Branch if your inactive license was legally acceptable to provide instruction at that time in a provincial regulated school their answer would be no. You are deluding yourself if you think otherwise.
Expired doesnt mean active you seem to believe that one equals the other and it doesnt. Having permanent inscribed across the face of the certificate means nothing more than a lack of expiration date on any other certificate. You want to think it means more, but it doesnt. If AB requires a procedure including the payment of an annual membership fee to have an active certificate and be eligible to provide instructional services, than having "permanent" or anything else on the face of your certificate does not mitigate its validity.
If you have an issue with the costs of membership in your profession, take that up with your MP, but your dissatisfaction does not abrogate your responsibility, no does it create exemption to your provincial requirements.
PEI is better than AB because it doesnt expire, and there is no further annual membership required to remain active. You dont have to pretend its active because it is active.
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shadowjack
- Posts: 2140
- Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am
Re: Canadian Certification
Alberta also does not expire and has no fees. Right on my certificate it says Permanent Certification. End of story.
Reply
@shadowjack
Then its permanent and if there is no procedure to maintain membership or PD responsibilities to remain active then there isnt an issue. Having "permanent" inscribed on the face of the certificate doesnt mean anything if their are other requirements to maintain the credentials active and valid status. Permanent isnt some magical protection. It can be changed at anytime the provincial authority wants it to be.
PEIs is better since you dont have to acquire 2 years of service in the province to get a permanent certificate.
Then its permanent and if there is no procedure to maintain membership or PD responsibilities to remain active then there isnt an issue. Having "permanent" inscribed on the face of the certificate doesnt mean anything if their are other requirements to maintain the credentials active and valid status. Permanent isnt some magical protection. It can be changed at anytime the provincial authority wants it to be.
PEIs is better since you dont have to acquire 2 years of service in the province to get a permanent certificate.
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lookingforlefty
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2014 12:15 pm
Re: Canadian Certification
What if I was licensed in Ontario, then earned QTS by reciprocity, and then let my Ontario qualification lapse. I am Canadian, not a Brit, at least by citizenship. Would I still be 'qualified,' or don't most ISs insist that you're certified in your home country?
I have no PGCE so the QTS wouldn't make sense on my CV.
I have no PGCE so the QTS wouldn't make sense on my CV.
Discussion
@lookingforlefty
Your concern seems to be that you have an interim Canadian credential and you foresee the inability to renew it, or becoming unable to upgrade it to the full Academic credential?
There is no requirement that you be licensed in your home country. I know a number of American and Canadian teachers that have UK and Australian credentials.
I assume as a Canadian you have a B.Ed? QTS is more of an authorization to teach than it is an academic qualification. The UK system just divides the two components in so much as what constitutes the qualification for a professional teacher. UK teachers upon completion of their PGCE obtain QTS as NQTs, but this is distinct from the full QTS obtained after indoctrination. A number of countries dont have teaching licenses, your academic education degree is your license.
Legally and technically with a B.Ed and QTS with an expired/inactive (not suspended, revoked, etc) Canadian license and a letter of good standing from the time it was valid you would be eligible to provide educational services in a English regulated (and independent) school, as such you are a licensed professional educator. The issue remaining is that ISs can establish higher standards and can have preferences that differ from legal and regulatory standards. As a result your going to see a depreciation in your marketability, it may not be appreciable to you though, and overall may be negligible.
However, it is an inexpensive means of maintaining a professional teaching license, as it has no membership, or PD associated costs or expenditures. It would essentially be a lifetime teaching credential, since QTS and academic qualifications do not expire.
Your concern seems to be that you have an interim Canadian credential and you foresee the inability to renew it, or becoming unable to upgrade it to the full Academic credential?
Your concern seems to be that you have an interim Canadian credential and you foresee the inability to renew it, or becoming unable to upgrade it to the full Academic credential?
There is no requirement that you be licensed in your home country. I know a number of American and Canadian teachers that have UK and Australian credentials.
I assume as a Canadian you have a B.Ed? QTS is more of an authorization to teach than it is an academic qualification. The UK system just divides the two components in so much as what constitutes the qualification for a professional teacher. UK teachers upon completion of their PGCE obtain QTS as NQTs, but this is distinct from the full QTS obtained after indoctrination. A number of countries dont have teaching licenses, your academic education degree is your license.
Legally and technically with a B.Ed and QTS with an expired/inactive (not suspended, revoked, etc) Canadian license and a letter of good standing from the time it was valid you would be eligible to provide educational services in a English regulated (and independent) school, as such you are a licensed professional educator. The issue remaining is that ISs can establish higher standards and can have preferences that differ from legal and regulatory standards. As a result your going to see a depreciation in your marketability, it may not be appreciable to you though, and overall may be negligible.
However, it is an inexpensive means of maintaining a professional teaching license, as it has no membership, or PD associated costs or expenditures. It would essentially be a lifetime teaching credential, since QTS and academic qualifications do not expire.
Your concern seems to be that you have an interim Canadian credential and you foresee the inability to renew it, or becoming unable to upgrade it to the full Academic credential?
Re: Canadian Certification
in ontario, you have to be registered with the college of teachers to teach in ontario. it has a $120 per year fee or something.
there's no card, or license, other than the one you get from the college of teachers, which has your teacher # on it. it's not a requirement to teach internationally, and your b.ed. will do just fine.....BUT!
they have recently changed it so that graduates of ontario teacher's colleges must register with the college of teachers, and do so before september of this year i believe. one of the possible ramnifications (fears, threats) that is going around is that if you don't, they could make you repeat it. now that it's a 2-year program, that would suck for a lot of people.
i know of some schools in asia teaching canadian curriculum (alberta, manitoba, ontario, nova scotia) where you had to have registered at the college (if from ontario) and be in good standing.
it's all unionized in ontario, so as long as you're paying your dues each year and remain in good standing, you can teach in ontario. as far as i know, your b.ed. is your teaching license.
v.
there's no card, or license, other than the one you get from the college of teachers, which has your teacher # on it. it's not a requirement to teach internationally, and your b.ed. will do just fine.....BUT!
they have recently changed it so that graduates of ontario teacher's colleges must register with the college of teachers, and do so before september of this year i believe. one of the possible ramnifications (fears, threats) that is going around is that if you don't, they could make you repeat it. now that it's a 2-year program, that would suck for a lot of people.
i know of some schools in asia teaching canadian curriculum (alberta, manitoba, ontario, nova scotia) where you had to have registered at the college (if from ontario) and be in good standing.
it's all unionized in ontario, so as long as you're paying your dues each year and remain in good standing, you can teach in ontario. as far as i know, your b.ed. is your teaching license.
v.
Discussion
@vandsmith
It is certainly a requirement to have a valid ACTIVE license to teach internationally. Thats exactly the problem many Canadian teachers have with places like BC and ON, they think because in the past their B.Ed was the teaching credential then thats what it always must be. Teachers do not individually get to make the rules on what is considered a professional license to practice education. That is up to the regulatory authorities and in this case in ON if you are not an active member then you do not have a valid teachers license. If you are in JP (a country with strong labor protections) and your admin does an audit of teachers credentials at government or their own request, and your certificate comes up anything but "active" you can be dismissed immediately, because you are not a licensed teacher. It matters what the regulatory authority in the jurisdiction your license is located in and what they say not what you a teacher "think". Having a card, or paper, or anything else does not matter.
The reason ON changed their registration requirements is that they were losing teachers to more lenient provinces, with the understanding that those teachers could simply return to ON and reactivate without any burdens on them. With the new scheme, you have to stay registered and active (and paying the fee) or risk having to meet whatever the new certification requirements are, meaning that ON teachers need to pay whether they are in the province or not, of they think there is ever a chance they will return.
It is certainly a requirement to have a valid ACTIVE license to teach internationally. Thats exactly the problem many Canadian teachers have with places like BC and ON, they think because in the past their B.Ed was the teaching credential then thats what it always must be. Teachers do not individually get to make the rules on what is considered a professional license to practice education. That is up to the regulatory authorities and in this case in ON if you are not an active member then you do not have a valid teachers license. If you are in JP (a country with strong labor protections) and your admin does an audit of teachers credentials at government or their own request, and your certificate comes up anything but "active" you can be dismissed immediately, because you are not a licensed teacher. It matters what the regulatory authority in the jurisdiction your license is located in and what they say not what you a teacher "think". Having a card, or paper, or anything else does not matter.
The reason ON changed their registration requirements is that they were losing teachers to more lenient provinces, with the understanding that those teachers could simply return to ON and reactivate without any burdens on them. With the new scheme, you have to stay registered and active (and paying the fee) or risk having to meet whatever the new certification requirements are, meaning that ON teachers need to pay whether they are in the province or not, of they think there is ever a chance they will return.
Re: Canadian Certification
I'm going to challenge SJ for once, lets hope I'm not wrong...
you don't need to teach in Alberta to get perm teaching certification....
if yo can somehow land a job at the Canadian international school in Macau, or some other places which use Alberta curriculum, or you check the alberta education website for certified schools abroad, then you can use that experience towards your perm.
Some schools (or at least my school in particular) required me to have BC certification, no questions. My Alberta cert was pretty much toilet paper to them.
Just my 2 cents.
you don't need to teach in Alberta to get perm teaching certification....
if yo can somehow land a job at the Canadian international school in Macau, or some other places which use Alberta curriculum, or you check the alberta education website for certified schools abroad, then you can use that experience towards your perm.
Some schools (or at least my school in particular) required me to have BC certification, no questions. My Alberta cert was pretty much toilet paper to them.
Just my 2 cents.