Thanks for the reply @psyguy

The reason I went for CT provisional is because I've heard of people getting rejected for QTS based on Initial, and I didn't want to risk that.

I think NJ is then the way to go. Unless there is another state that you think I could get reciprocity and get a professional grade license that won't expire?

Cheers again.

A while back @psyguy gave some good advice about getting certified. I wanted to ask if he or anyone else has any suggestions about how I can best position myself for the future (certification-wise) and what possible next steps I might take in order to achieve something like a standard CA clear or 3rd level NJ.

I now hold a CT provisional (I realize @psyguy discouraged getting the CT provisional, but with my extensive experience I was overqualified for initial).

Question, can I now apply for QTS with that credential?

After QTS (assuming it's possible), is there an option such as NJ or CA that I could eventually move into? I'm now in job-search mode and looking mostly at IE, but I'm also open to DE, but mostly on the East Coast or CA or PNW (i.e., blue states :-)

I would challenge the notion that you can make 100K + at private schools in the US, even at the top tier. In fact, at the very best New England boarding schools--won't name any names, but any ranking puts them among the best schools in the nations--starting salaries are usually in the 40K range. You do get free housing, and one of the best benefits is that at some of these schools, if they are indeed accepted, your children can attend for free, which is a 50-60K/year benefit. Where you are more likely to make more coin are actually private schools (as PsyGuy implied) in cities like Houston, LA, Dallas, Miami, or NYC where there are private schools, which charge huge tuitions, but don't have the prestige of true, top tier schools.

@psyguy

Guy looking though my application: Oh, he got a UT cred last month; totally logical that he's now "moving into the area" of CT.
:-)

I'm just skeptical that any of this will work. Now that someone else contacted MS to ask them if UT is accepted for 5 year, that route is most likely gone. And then applying for QTS with a CT--when they don't see a TPP on my app, it will be an immediate rejection as well I suspect.

@psygy

I'm also following this route. I hope CT will, as you've written, be accepted for a QTS.

One question: before, you wrote that getting UT will increase one's chances of getting CT. I'm in the process of obtaining UT, but should I wait until I have UT to apply for CT? I can't see having a recently obtained UT cert--especially when I have no connection to UT as a state, whatsoever--that that would in any way look favorable to CT. I'm thinking I should just apply for CT right now simultaneously with UT. After all, I'm basing my CT application on my teaching experience, not on a UT cert.

@psyguy ok, cool, thanks! Just one other thing -- so with an initial from CT, I would qualify for QTS?

I would know the visa requirements of the country(yes) you plan on living in. Some do require background checks, oftentimes with FBI fingerprint check (if you're a US citizen), which is a bit of a pain, but definitely not impossible to do abroad. (That depends a bit on where you are, I guess--from Europe, it was no problem, but I can't speak for SEA, for instance.) If you know you will need them soon, get them done--always better to do the proper research first. But yeah, usually they have to be quite recent.

Thanks, @psyguy for that clarification. I agree, although I question how CT evaluates foreign experience. The form is so basic that it seems strange that just a foreign signature and some basic info written would suffice as real evidence for teaching experience. If it's completed in the US, they have means to easily confirm that, but abroad, I'm not so sure. BUT, seeing as it does ask for the institution name, and my teaching experience is at a public school, Gymnasium (albeit with an IB program), isn't it sort of obvious that I'm teaching to non-native speakers? Regardless, I think you're correct in that in my literature teaching, degree, and Praxis will match up.

Thanks so much, @psyguy for your reply! Yes, I'm going to go for Utah. One issue where I need to correct you though: it could be problematic that I've been teaching to non-native speakers. I would like to get certified in English Lit (Praxis exam 5039), which is accepted in both UT and CT for the English teacher credential. But, what I'm afraid of, is that when I go to apply for CT, they would rather see the ESOL praxis (Praxis exam 5362), because I've been teaching to non-native speakers. UT, incidentally, doesn't even include the ESOL praxis exam as one of their accepted exams. Do you think I should also take the ESOL praxis for CT? But then I would be certified as an ESOL in CT and might not be able to teach Language A English IB.

Hello Everyone,

I browsed a ton of forums about this, but couldn't find exact advice about my situation and the details of teaching experience verification. @PsyGuy, I greatly appreciate all of the advice you've given over the years--your knowledge about the certification system is amazing. I'm hoping you or others might be able to give me some advice about my situation.

My situation:

US Citizen with BA in English Lit. I've been teaching for 6 years in the same public high school (Gymnasium, highly respected public school) in Europe. The school has a national and IB program, and I teach English (it's English literature, but it is English to non-native speakers) and TOK in IB. I don't have a teaching certification.

My goal is to get the best possible certification for my situation in the US and hopefully QTS as well.

Traveling to the US or taking any exams in Europe is no problem.

First question: with my experience, would I qualify for CT or Hawaii, or would my experience not count, because it could be considered ESOL? I don't know how the verification process works. I've looked at the forms for CT and HI, but they look really basic, and I think my experience could, in some way, be seen as properly teaching English Lit. Technically though, my job title is foreign language teacher and TOK teacher, and I also taught IB Language B (English). Ideally, I would like to get certified in English literature, because I really don't actually teach ESOL. Although in a pinch, I could study up to try to pass an ESOL exam.

I have thought about the following options:

If experience isn't counted: MA or UT
If experience is counted: CT>HI>QTS

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'd hate to see my experience not be recognized, but I might have to accept that.