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Getting an American state teaching license while living here

 
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thebektionary



Joined: 11 May 2011

PostPosted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 5:19 pm    Post subject: Getting an American state teaching license while living here Reply with quote

I've been doing a lot of research and I've come to the conclusion that a teaching license is more important for me to get to work in international schools (not just in Korea but potentially around the world) than a masters degree. A masters degree is just kind of a nice add-on, but the preliminary requirement is a teaching license.

I've done research on how to aquire a New York State teaching license. New York is really the only place I can see myself living if I ever decide to go back to America, so I figure that I will get a New York State license.

I just can't return to America now. Is it possible to do an online licensure program from here? I can't seem to find an answer to this. Ttompatz showed me the Praxis test but from the research I've done I've concluded that the Praxis test is a test you take IN ADDITION to a licensure program you have to do in the state you want to be certified in.

I'm just so confused.

Then I saw something about the Massachusetts teaching license that only requires you to take an online test? If that's the case, I'd just want to do that one and if I ever taught in New York I'd just take the test that they require to get certified there. Anyway, like I said, I don't plan on going back to America to live for awhile, if ever, so it doesn't matter. I just want to be qualified to teach at international schools.
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TheUrbanMyth



Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired

PostPosted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 7:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
A Quick Look at the Requirements for Becoming a Teacher

You should have a 4-year bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college.
In many states, you are required to hold a master's degree before you become a teacher or earn your master's shortly after you begin teaching. There are several one or two-year post-baccalaureate programs which you can opt for.
You are required to get through a state test to become a certified teacher or pass the well-known Praxis test that is widely used. It is a series of American teacher certification exams conducted by the Educational Testing Service.
The student teaching component is always a part of training programs for becoming a teacher. It is precisely an internship which gives you hands-on experience in teaching and managing students.
The requirements to become a teacher vary from state to state. So check the credentials for teachers in your state before going for obtaining them
Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/basic-requirements-to-become-a-teacher.html




(bolding mine)

It seems that the majority of states if not all require that you do a practicum (teaching American students in a classroom setting for hands-on experience)

Kinda of difficult to do that from over here.
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warmachinenkorea



Joined: 12 Oct 2008

PostPosted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 9:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

TheUrbanMyth wrote:
Quote:
A Quick Look at the Requirements for Becoming a Teacher

You should have a 4-year bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college.
In many states, you are required to hold a master's degree before you become a teacher or earn your master's shortly after you begin teaching. There are several one or two-year post-baccalaureate programs which you can opt for.
You are required to get through a state test to become a certified teacher or pass the well-known Praxis test that is widely used. It is a series of American teacher certification exams conducted by the Educational Testing Service.
The student teaching component is always a part of training programs for becoming a teacher. It is precisely an internship which gives you hands-on experience in teaching and managing students.
The requirements to become a teacher vary from state to state. So check the credentials for teachers in your state before going for obtaining them
Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/basic-requirements-to-become-a-teacher.html




(bolding mine)

It seems that the majority of states if not all require that you do a practicum (teaching American students in a classroom setting for hands-on experience)

Kinda of difficult to do that from over here.


That can be done at the DODEA schools and sometimes international schools.
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Drew345



Joined: 24 May 2005

PostPosted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 10:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm getting my teaching license for Pennsylvania from Drexel University. And no, I never plan to live in Pennsylvania; you can get the license from any state and have it transferred to your home state through "reciprocity".
Here is a list of acceptable International schools for my program.
http://www.state.gov/m/a/os/155608.htm

Really, any school is OK for the "observation" hours, as long as they are accredited. I am working on doing my student teaching now, and it is more difficult to find a school. I almost gave up for Korea and will look in Thailand (since there are 10X more international schools there). If that doesn't work, I will go back to the US for student teaching. But except for 3 months student teaching, it is easy to do 100% overseas.

Drexel is a nice online program, but their prices are rather high. So I can't "strongly" recommend them. Do some good online research on a good online certificate (then master's) program.
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thebektionary



Joined: 11 May 2011

PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 4:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks so much everyone. There's a masters program in education with a specialization in international teaching that I want to do that is only 5,000 dollars from Framingham State University:

http://www.framingham.edu/graduate-and-continuing-education/graduate-programs/international-education-program/international-teaching.html

...but unfortunately it does not offer licensure.

I need to find one that offers it, I think.
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Drew345



Joined: 24 May 2005

PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 12:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Drexel University program needs 10 classes to complete certification and 15 classes for master's in education.
The classes are $2500 for each class. It is a crazy price considering many teachers only open the weekly file folders and briefly scan the submissions. The office does work hard on observation placements and getting student teaching though, and that is what is needed for certification.
Anyway, it is about $25,000 for the Drexel license program and then $12,500 more for the Masters. Some of this can be deducted from your taxes. And it is a good degree for getting a job (some people sink $100,000 into studying tuba).
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thebektionary



Joined: 11 May 2011

PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 4:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah, that is way beyond what I can afford right now. Oh well.

Do you have any idea how much it would cost to actually do it in person?
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Son Deureo!



Joined: 30 Apr 2003

PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 6:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

thebektionary wrote:
Yeah, that is way beyond what I can afford right now. Oh well.

Do you have any idea how much it would cost to actually do it in person?


If you want to get certified in New York state, you'll need to do a practicum. I don't know of any states that don't have this requirement, either.

I did an M.S.Ed. that also led to a New York State provisional teaching license through a private college. It cost me about $20,000 USD to do it for a 2 semester program. A look at their web site tells me the cost has now gone up to $22,000 for the same program I did. The first semester was 18 credit hours of educational coursework + 100 clock hours of classroom observation time, the second was practicum in the form of two 6-week student teaching placements.

If you want to know more about the particulars of my degree program, feel free to PM me.

I probably spent about another $1000 to get my license on top of tuition fees. Standardized tests, a criminal background check, state licensing fees, it all adds up. None of that includes my room and board or other living expenses for the year, but I had family to help me with that. In spite of the high price tag, I decided this was better than going through a state school, as all of the public programs I found required a 1-1 1/2 year of undergraduate coursework leading to licensure before I could even apply for a master's in education. Factoring in the loss of an additional year and a half worth of salary, and private school an economical route to a teaching certificate and a master's degree.

If you're thinking about going home, though, another route would be alternative licenciature. If you have enough undergraduate coursework in a high-demand content area (usually math or sciences, sometimes Spanish), you may be able to get a teaching placement and earn your licence while you teach for a full salary. If you qualify, it's hard to beat the price. The downside is that this usually requires a commitment of about 3 years. Last I heard, there were still some alternative cert programs in the New York City area.

Good luck.
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warmachinenkorea



Joined: 12 Oct 2008

PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 7:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Usually to get licensed you need to complete a NCATE approved licensure program and pass the Praxis exams for the subject area. Each state has there own required scores for the Praxis so "pass" is realative to each state. Some states offer alternate licensure programs for people in certain ares of need like Science or Math.

I just talked to my principal, I work at Seoul American Middle School on Yongsan, and she passed on this info for doing the student teaching side on a military base.

http://www.dodea.edu/Offices/HR/employment/studentTeaching/index.cfm
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thebektionary



Joined: 11 May 2011

PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 7:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks so much everyone! Most helpful answers ever!
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