The International Schools Review Forum

Hello! I am currently teaching Early Years in the Middle East on a preliminary teaching credential from California. As it is quite expensive (around $15,000) to clear my credential in California, I am looking for other ways to keep my credential valid after it expires in 2020.

I have read through all the great advice on this forum and contacted the Department of Education in New Jersey who informed me that if I do not teach there within a year of transferring my credential there then it will become invalid as well as the Department of Education in Hawaii who informed me that I need to complete a State Approved Teacher Education Program (SATEP) to transfer my credential there.

I am interested in finding an approved teacher education program to satisfy the Hawaii requirements as that seems like my best option, but I am struggling to find one that I can do online since I am not in the US. I would also be interested in doing an Early Years certification if it would provide me the same opportunities (I only plan on teaching Early Years) but I have not been able to find a Cache 3 course in Oman. Or if there are recommendations other than this, I am all ears!

I was confused by several of your statements:

First, I dont know how you came up with USD$15K to clear your credential. UCLAs program is about USD$5600 and SDSUs program is about USD$7300, those costs are pricey but at least half of what you quoted and are comparable to other EPP/ITT programs.

Second, I dont know who you talked to in NJ, as the only teaching certificate with a one year validity period is an Emergency certificate, all three of the general teaching credentials including the CE, CEAS and Standard credential are all lifetime credentials, none of them expire within a year. There are plenty of DTs in NJ (and NY) with CEASs from years and years ago that are still valid (the DTs never found an appointment in their teaching area).

Third, SATEP is the name HI uses for an EPP/ITT program in their state. It would be the same as a standard (professional) grade program in any other state. To satisfy the HI option you would have to obtain a standard credential in any state by completing an EPP/ITT program OR complete an EPP/ITT program in HI.

You have the following options for EPP/ITT programs out of country, and those are Teach Now through DC and Teacher Ready through FL, both will provide a professional grade credential you can transfer (more or less anywhere, but specifically NOT CA), you could transfer it to NJ (provided they accept your current experience). Both programs cost about USD$6K, UCLAs program would be slightly less expensive, and SDSUs slightly more expensive.

In addition I would take a shot at applying for QTS in the UK through through the TCL, the application takes 15 minutes, and the cost is zero, since you only want to teach elementary it would give you a low barrier entry into a lifetime credential.

The other options available to you are:

1) You could take your preliminary credential over to Mississippi (MS) and apply for a two year credential giving you a little more time. I doubt they would issue a standard credential with the preliminary CA credential.
2) You could probably qualify for some type of Connecticut (CT) credential, probably the initial though they may issue you a provisional (which you dont want), the initial is renewable up to 15 years of total validity, the provisional 8 years. You will never meet the requirements to transition the credential without teaching in CT.

Outside of those pathways the assessment pathways would include:

1) Utah (UT), offers a 3 year APT credential that would require a single PRAXIS exam and application. The credential is valid for 3 years and is renewable.
2) Massachusetts (MA), offers a provisional (entry grade) credential, you would need to take 3-4 exams (MTEL) and do some seminars but your work for the preliminary CA credential may meet those requirements. The validity would effectively be lifetime.

I would start with applying for QTS here:

https://teacherservices.education.gov.u ... ecognition

Then it would depend what your goals are, if your going to stay in IE for the remainder of your career and want the lowest cost options then MA and UT are the least expensive with MA costing more, but not having to worry about PD. If you want a professional grade credential or every plan on moving back into DE, then doing one of the CLEAR induction programs (probably UCLA) would be the most cost effective.

Hi PsyGuy,

I really appreciate your recommendations. I apologize for confusing you…I am new to all this and just trying to figure out the best option so I can continue teaching abroad with the proper teaching certificate.

Perhaps I am not looking in the right place, but through my research on UCLA’s Extension Education website, I found that the program at UCLA is $11,000. I would be very interested in the program if it is in fact closer to $5600.

In regards to the NJ teaching certificate, I had my mother call multiple times (since I am living in the Middle East) to speak to different staff and confirm the information they gave her about the certificate expiring after a year if I don’t teach there. I will do some more research but would be super interested in speaking to anyone who has successfully transferred their teaching certificate to NJ and is still teaching with it outside of NJ.

I already applied for QTS but unfortunately they informed me that I was not qualified for it with a preliminary credential.

@nicole05

You werent looking in the right place. UCLAs Extension Division has two induction pathways, you were looking at the "University Mentor" track, 9 courses, USD$11K the Uni assigns you a professor/clinical instructor as your mentor. The other pathway is the "School Mentor" track, its 5 courses, all online, and a leadership member at your IS serves as your mentor. The cost is about USD$5600, you can find the link here:

https://www.uclaextension.edu/education ... -induction

As for NJ, you can find the regulatory statute here:

https://nj.gov/education/code/current/t ... chap9b.pdf

The section you are looking for is in: 6A:9B-8.8 "Requirements for interstate reciprocity for a CEAS, CE, or standard certificate" (PP. 55) . As you can see in subsection B, 1-4 you are exempt specifically from and renewal and enrollment requirements; however these dont even apply because your required to complete assessment requirements for CA. The NJ CEAS is comparable to the CA Preliminary credential.

The only one year credential that NJ issues is an Emergency Permit, everything else is either lifetime (CE, CEAS, Standard), 2 years (such as the provisional credential) or 5 years (in the case of the Non-Citizen Standard).

NJ use to be easier, specifically in regard to the Standard credential you just needed two years experience, no testing and they generally accepted a much broader range of professional experience, relatively recently the requirements became more nuanced, but more importantly they started applying a much more critical eye to what experience they would except, particularly in terms of IS experience.

QTS is a shot in the dark at this point, early when mutual recognition for QTS was new there were ITs with preliminary and other entry grade credentials that received QTS. Still it ddnt really cost you much.

@PsyGuy, thank you so much!!! This information is so incredibly helpful. Much appreciated

I just got my provisional license from Hawaii after completing the TEACH-NOW program based in DC. It’s all online - you can do the clinical portion in your own classroom wherever you are. It’s a nine month program and easy enough to complete.

@monkeycat

The LW doesnt need an EPP/ITT program they already have a credential, the cost of Teach Now or Teach Ready costs more than a CA induction program, and results in less desirable outcomes. ITs want to park their credential somewhere they dont have to do PD, that leaves 3 options but the primary two are NJ and CA, and CA is the gold standard of the US NC in IE. Getting the DC credential through Teach Now (or the FL credential from Teach Ready) will not solve any of the issues or avail the LW of a pathway to a CA CLEAR credential. Once you have established a pathway in CA, you are stuck on that track, you can not select an alternative or different pathway. The LW has a preliminary credential, they must clear it through induction to obtain the CLEAR credential, they can not apply for mutual recognition or reciprocity for a CLEAR or even another Preliminary credential. ITs have tried in the past the response is always the same, a deficiency letter stating the applicant must complete an induction program. The CA Preliminary credential is a time bomb, its a 5 year credential that is non-renewable, and I have seen only three hardship extensions granted in extreme circumstances, in two cases the extension was for a single year the other for 2 years and these were EXTREME circumstances. The two year extension was for a DT/IT whose credentialing field was an esoteric career/tech subject that essentially was dissolved. CA routinely denies spouses on active duty orders extensions, the CTC position has been extremely rigid, that 5 years is more than sufficient time to figure out a path to transition a Preliminary credential.

Ah, I didn't know all that about California. That's good to know for the future.

I have a preliminary CA credential, never did BTSA/induction, was granted a 3 year extension while teaching abroad (that's the reason I gave for needing the extension), applied for a Hawaii preliminary credential through reciprocity, and received it in September. Other than it taking forever to process the paperwork, neither the extension nor the Hawaii credential were particularly difficult to get.

@kc18

HI doesnt issue a Preliminary credential, you may be referring to the HI Provisional credential, which is an entry level credential, and worse than the CA Preliminary credential as its 3 years instead of 5 years and like the CA preliminary credential is not renewable.
You will not be able to take the HI standard credential when you obtain it and turn it into a CA credential (either a CLEAR or a another preliminary credential, you will need to complete induction.
I can now say I know one entity/person that received a CA extension of their preliminary credential for essentially asking, still know FAR more ITs who were summarily denied.

You're right. The Hawaii credential is "provisional". My bad. The rest is not applicable to my situation/future plans. Thanks though.