Teach-Now

[haztam]

Has anyone personally gone through the Teach-Now in order to earn a teaching certificate and masters degree in education? My partner will be joining me at my current school and is interested in completing the 12 month program to earn her certificate as well as a masters degree.

What I want to know, is will the degree she earns be accredited? Should we decide to return to the U.S., will her degree and certificate be recognized? I know that the certification is through D.C., but I wanted to know who actually issues the masters degree, and is it a real degree?

According to information I found, Teach-Now has received its initial authorization from DEAC (Distance Education Accrediting Council), though I have not found the program listed on the DEAC website. Before we spend our time and money on this program, we want to know if it is legitimate and will help her move forward in becoming an educator. We do not want to relocate, and my current school has already agreed to take her on as a student teacher. Any insights would be helpful.

Thanks!

[shadowjack]

I would do her certification through Teach-Now and get her masters elsewhere (for credibility purposes, plus some schools you end up at have a subsidized masters program through places like SUNY).

Teach-Now is legit and the certification is legit. It is DC certification - and if you ask PsyGuy he will enumerate the one thousand and one ways in which an educator can turn the dross of a Teach-Now DC certificate into the golden ticket to fame, fortune, and international teaching through various arcane channels wending their ways through the myriad states and their even more labyrinthine strictures and structures of certification, including which states are best for lifelong certification, meaning that you wouldn't ever have to submit your learning plan or conference list, or PD sheet, ever again.

[PsyGuy]

No the degree is currently unaccredited, initial authorization does not mean the program has actually received accreditation, it essentially means their application has been accepted. Aside from that the only accreditation that means anything in the US is regional accreditation. While DEAC is a recognized accreditor by the USDOE and CHEA, the majority of state regulatory authorities only recognize regional accreditation.
Teach Now is the institution that issues the degree, it isnt a partner relationship with another University/Institution. Their Uni is the Educator School of Education, their credits arent generally going to be recognized by another Institution.
It sounds like an easy Masters, do an extra couple of months on top of the certification course (at double the fee) and get a masters on top of the credential, the Teach Now Masters isnt worth anything from the POV of academia and regulatory authorities. That doesnt mean it isnt worth anything at all, it may be accepted by your IS for salary, though you may have to argue the point with them if anyone decides to go digging and until they actually get full accreditation recognition by DEAC the IS would be in the right in denying it, that assumes they go looking. It also doesnt stop an IS from creating a policy that only regionally accredited degrees from the US are acceptable.
There absolutely is a time savings in what Teach Now is offering, but the financial cost at USD$13K (more than double the credentialing program cost) isnt justified until some later point yet to be determined or reached, until then the Masters isnt worth what it costs and probably isnt worth the paper its printed on.
::Aside::
If someone told you they got their degree "from the Educator School of Education online" would you think they were full of anything but poo?

My recommendation for an alternative is U. Portsmouth its a fully accredited real degree available by distance learning which will take about 2 years of study and will cost about USD$5,500 for the full two year program, less than the cost of Teach Now. Its in Ed.Ld which after a couple years of teaching your spouse can then use to apply for a leadership/administration credential through DC. There is nothing prohibiting doing both programs concurrently, though it may be a heavy work load.

http://www.port.ac.uk/courses/education ... anagement/

For certification alone Teach Now is an acceptable program for a DC credential.

[McTeacher]

Hi - my wife is starting the program tonight. Even though the Teacher cert is only 9 months and they have cohorts starting every month (except December), the October cohort is the last you can join to be certified before September of the following year because they break for three months over the (North American) summer. Just something to keep in mind

[PsyGuy]

One of the smaller differences between Teach Now and Teach Ready. Teach Now uses the Cohort model so you move through the program units as a group, this means you have harder deadlines as you have to be done with a unit more or less at the same time as your cohort. Teach Ready uses a Self Pacing model you still cant race through the units but if you have unexpected events or just get busy you can push your program forward and make it up later. Some candidates need the structure some need more flexibility.

One of the reasons Texas Teachers is on my master list of IE EPP/ITT programs is its the fastest program (at 4 months) and can accommodate starts as late as February and be certified by the start of the next AY.

[marieh]

PsyGuy - Please, please quit calling it TeachReady. It is TeacherReady. Also - and this is an honest question - when did they stop being a cohort model? I was in the program several years ago when it was a cohort, and have been recommending it based on that since then. If it has changed, I would like to know so that I can give people accurate info.

[PsyGuy]

@marieh

No, Im not really motivated in doing that bit of neuro-linguistic reprogramming. Its either Teach Now and Teach Ready or Teacher Now and Teacher Ready, I decided on Teach Now and Teach Ready (Teacher Now was not linguistically pleasing from my POV). Ive considered advising Teach Ready of changing their name to comply with my designated format, but I imagine crazy doesnt get through their email servers spam filter.

In Teach Readys very early stages they had a cohort model but thats typical at the testing phase of most program delivery startups.
From their literature:

www.teacherready.org/about-teacherready/faqs/

"How long are the lessons in the TeacherReady Program?
The flexibility of the program allows our students complete lessons at varying paces. Each lesson is designed to be completed in 3-4 weeks. The exact length of each lesson varies depending on the content of the instruction."

"Can I work and participate in the TeacherReady Program?
Yes. The TeacherReady Program was designed for you. Coursework is available to you, online, so that you can access it at any time. You do not need to be logged into the learning system at specific times to view live lectures. You do not have group-work assignments. So, you will not need to schedule around other students."

It meets the descriptive definition of a Self Paced model in practice. Self paced is not equivalent to or synonymous with an 'open tasking' model. There is structure, but its not a cohort model. Candidates can begin the seminar portions as soon as they register they do not need to wait for cohort formation.

http://www.teacherready.org/admissions/ ... s-dates-3/

[cms989]

marieh nothing has changed TeacherReady has cohorts.

[PsyGuy]

@cms989

No, Teach Ready does not have cohorts.

[McTeacher]

In conclusion:
TeacherReady has cohorts
Teach Ready doesn't have cohorts

[PsyGuy]

@McTeacher

No, Teach Now uses a cohort model and Teach Ready uses a self paced model.

[McTeacher]

In conclusion:
Teach Now has cohorts - as per PsyGuy
TeacherReady has cohorts - as per cms989
Teach Ready doesn't have cohorts - as per PsyGuy

[PsyGuy]

@McTeacher

There are only two organization Teach Now which uses a cohort model and Teach Ready which uses a self paced model.

[shadowjack]

@McTeacher - Do I sense an e-dab?