The International Schools Review Forum

Is there a fast and free (or cheap) way to get certified to teach in any of the US states? Especially for someone who already has teacher certification for Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland or the UK?

So much has been written about this. Please search the forum.

I'm hoping someone might have some updated information to post to this thread.

Free, no.

I dont know of a state that doesnt charge an application fee at a minimum. In addition all the states that offer foreign DTs licensure would require an NACES evaluation and that costs about USD$200. Most of those states also require a CRB. In addition many states have assessment/testing requirements that cost about USD$150/each. On top of that you have PD requirements to maintain many credentials. So no there isnt an equivalent like the OTT program for QTS.

As to cheap and easy, you would need to be more specific, and define cheap and easy. For initial issuance HI is the cheapest, you dont have to do any assessments and there is no CRB. The fee is about USD$50/yr and there is no advance payment. The application would consist of the NACES evaluation and a paper application plus some supporting documents (verification of experience, etc.) You can complete the process (minus the NACES) in less than a day. This will not avoid the costs of PD however, and the only state (assuming you are not a US Citizen) that would not require PD and that you could obtain (and receive a professional grade credential) without teaching in the US would be CA. However to qualify you would effectively need a Masters degree and to obtain an ESOL endorsement with the HI credential.

Without those requirements the best option without PD but with higher initial application costs would be MA (Massachusetts) in addition to the NACES, you could complete the testing requirements and receive a provisional (entry grade) credential after completing two exams at a cost of about USD$280. Soon you will be able to obtain an initial (professional grade) credential which will require an additional exam (for a total of three) at a cost of USD$420. Both credentials are valid for 5 years of employment, but if you never work is MA you will never use any of that time, effectively becoming a lifetime credential. The application cost is USD$100.

TeacherGal,

I just read somewhere (forget where) that the ONLY US state that will licence non-US Nationals is Virginia (and Washington DC is NOT a state, PG :-)

You might look at that and see costs - otherwise you are looking at TeachNow (Washington DC) for about 6 grand. They do certify non-Americans.

@SJ

You read wrong, NJ publishes that they issue credentials to foreign applicants (its called the non-citizen standard). You can find the link here:

http://www.nj.gov/education/educators/license/teacher/

The other desirable regions that issue credentials to foreign applicants are HI, CA, MA, MS.

Virginia, like many other states, will issue a credential to a foreign applicant only upon demonstration of employment within a regional institution. The application for credential must be approved by the employing DS. In addition Virginia has a lot of esoteric training requirements.
You can find the relevant guidance on page 2, end of the first full paragraph, here:

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching/li ... utions.pdf

Yes, I am aware that the D.C. is not a state, so are the 5 inhabited and incorporated territories of the US, so is DODEA, water is also wet.

The problem with that is working towards US Citizenship...

Non-Citizen Standard - A five-year certificate issued to an individual who has met all requirements for state certification, but is not a US citizen. This certificate can be renewed by showing progress toward US citizenship. Copies of official documentation from the INS would be required for an additional renewal.

@SJ

Yes, thats a problem, but the point is there are states outside of Virginia that issue foreigners educator credentials. NJ is just one of those states that actually states as part of their resources that they do, many of the other states that do, dont really come out and state they do, you have to go looking for it. Most states will issue a credential at the request of an employing DS, so from some technical POV a foreign educator can get credentialed from just about any state if they want to go through the pretense of getting a DS appointment.

To review some of the negatives of the other states credentials I addressed:

Hi: Three years experience is required for the Standard credential, and the Provisional credential without that experience really isnt worth obtaining considering their are better options (MA). The only benefit of the Provisional credential is if being used to complete the ESOL requirements or add additional endorsement areas before applying for the CA CLEAR credential, since PRAXIS exams are much more commonly available.

CA: It would be extremely impractical to obtain. To qualify for the CLEAR credential you would effectively need a Masters degree, but the real problem is you need an ELA (English Learner Authorization) and the only mechanism to have one as an external candidate is to have a full credential or endorsement in ESOL which for most regions (CAN/AUS/UK) would mean effectively having a dual degree EPP/ITT. The right IT could print off there QTS Teach Record if it showed ESOL and something else in the endorsement fields and they may accept that, but from a practical POV this route only works for foreign ITs who are professional educators in ESOL allowing them to meet the requirements for the ELA and the single subject credential in English language development. Any other pathway is going to result in a Preliminary credential and necessitate an induction program which at that cost and resource point is equivalent to doing an EPP/ITT program from the beginning. The way around this is to first apply for a credential in a state (such as HI MA, or DC) that allows additional endorsements by assessment (PRAXIS, etc.) and adding an ESOL credential or endorsement and then taking that credential and applying for the CA CLEAR credential.

MA: Lots of tests, and there are credibility issues with the provisional/temporary credential. Once the policys for the panel review for the initial credential are finalized this will likely become the new IE clearing house for US titled IT credentials. There is no CRB, experience or advanced degree requirements. The Provisional credential is an assessment pathway requiring no EPP/ITT program (and only two exams). The Initial credential and pathway for those ITs who have completed an EPP/ITT program. Both credentials are valid for 5 years of employment, so if a IT never works in MA they will never use any of that time, effectively becoming a lifetime credential with no PD requirement. Even the Temporary credential pathway though only valid for a year would require an IT to only show they have a professional credential from somewhere (panel review is an option) and three years experience, no assessments required. Though only valid for a year of employment an IT who never works in MA will never use any of that year, never have to renew and never complete any PD. The only negative issues are the reduced availability of the MTEL exams at OS test centers and credibility issues with the temporary and provisional credentials.

MS: Well the biggest negative is that its MS. This is an easy route for reciprocity as you dont have to show completion of an EPP/ITT program just have a valid credential and exam completion but it doesnt have any real advantages. The only advantages are in obtaining certain student services credentials such as librarian and to a lessor extent counselor.