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getting QTS from Texas or Florida
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jm21



Joined: 26 Feb 2008
Posts: 406

PostPosted: Fri Dec 12, 2014 10:56 am    Post subject: getting QTS from Texas or Florida Reply with quote

The texas programs seem pretty nice and they have an option for doing one year of paid teaching to get certified, which is not a bad deal at all.

I'm a little bit confused about how the teacher ready program from Florida works though. They say the teaching can be done outside of Florida but will they let you do it outside America? Has anyone tried this? Previous posts seem to imply you can. If you can do it from China it seems like a helluva bang for your buck if you're interested in teaching k-12.

On the other hand a year or two of teaching in Texas wouldn't be bad and would really amp up the resume.

Are there other states with similar programs? I'm from Washington and it's much harder and much more expensive to get certified there. Not sure it would be worth it.
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Bud Powell



Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736

PostPosted: Fri Dec 12, 2014 11:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you already have a BA, look into Teach for America. They have certification programs. The downside is that you may be sent to areas where there are shortages of teachers. The good side is that the pay is appreciably higher than most most beginning BA teachers.

You would have to do your teaching in the U.S..
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jm21



Joined: 26 Feb 2008
Posts: 406

PostPosted: Fri Dec 12, 2014 3:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bud Powell wrote:
If you already have a BA, look into Teach for America. They have certification programs. The downside is that you may be sent to areas where there are shortages of teachers. The good side is that the pay is appreciably higher than most most beginning BA teachers.

You would have to do your teaching in the U.S..


That's a really interesting idea. Hadn't heard of them. On their website it says the school pays you the same as a normal teacher though. Not much in rural areas. Definitely something to keep in mind though.
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Bud Powell



Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736

PostPosted: Fri Dec 12, 2014 9:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My niece has a BA and she's working in a major city in the south and pulling down $40,000.00 per year. Never taught in her life until last year. She's 24.

Texas is advertising all over the country to lure teachers from low-paying states to teach in Texas.
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Voyeur



Joined: 03 Jul 2012
Posts: 431

PostPosted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 3:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Are all of these special teaching certification programs for US citizens only?
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Bud Powell



Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736

PostPosted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 3:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

jm21 wrote:
Bud Powell wrote:
If you already have a BA, look into Teach for America. They have certification programs. The downside is that you may be sent to areas where there are shortages of teachers. The good side is that the pay is appreciably higher than most most beginning BA teachers.

You would have to do your teaching in the U.S..


"... On their website it says the school pays you the same as a normal teacher though. Not much in rural areas. Definitely something to keep in mind though.


What is a "normal teacher"?

In the state where my niece teaches, the starting pay for a first year teacher is $28,000.00. She's getting $40,000.

Forget it.
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jm21



Joined: 26 Feb 2008
Posts: 406

PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 12:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bud Powell wrote:
jm21 wrote:
Bud Powell wrote:
If you already have a BA, look into Teach for America. They have certification programs. The downside is that you may be sent to areas where there are shortages of teachers. The good side is that the pay is appreciably higher than most most beginning BA teachers.

You would have to do your teaching in the U.S..


"... On their website it says the school pays you the same as a normal teacher though. Not much in rural areas. Definitely something to keep in mind though.


What is a "normal teacher"?

In the state where my niece teaches, the starting pay for a first year teacher is $28,000.00. She's getting $40,000.

Forget it.


I mean, the TFA teacher gets paid the same as an entry level teacher in that district. Or so it says on their website, as far as I can tell. You are paid by the district and get the same benis as other teachers in the district. $40k sounds about right for a major southern city (maybe even on the low side). Salaries can vary widely within the same state. A remote small town may pay $20k in her state
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jm21



Joined: 26 Feb 2008
Posts: 406

PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 12:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Voyeur wrote:
Are all of these special teaching certification programs for US citizens only?


I think permanent residents too.
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toteach



Joined: 29 Dec 2008
Posts: 273

PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 1:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

jm21 wrote:
Voyeur wrote:
Are all of these special teaching certification programs for US citizens only?


I think permanent residents too.


Look into the school's foreign exchange program, where they always have exchange students in math, science, engineering... I doubt they'd discriminate against the color of your money if you wanted into a different program.
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jm21



Joined: 26 Feb 2008
Posts: 406

PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 1:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

toteach wrote:
jm21 wrote:
Voyeur wrote:
Are all of these special teaching certification programs for US citizens only?


I think permanent residents too.


Look into the school's foreign exchange program, where they always have exchange students in math, science, engineering... I doubt they'd discriminate against the color of your money if you wanted into a different program.


These are certification programs, not schools. You can't be an exchange student at one. They're not a program which leads to a degree.
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toteach



Joined: 29 Dec 2008
Posts: 273

PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 1:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

^^ Gotcha. Embarassed
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Voyeur



Joined: 03 Jul 2012
Posts: 431

PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 4:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm a Canadian, but I've always wondered if I could ever access any of the USA's alternative certification programs where you can work and earn 'QTS' at the same time. Seems unlikely, though.
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Bud Powell



Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736

PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 10:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

jm21 wrote:
Bud Powell wrote:
jm21 wrote:
Bud Powell wrote:
If you already have a BA, look into Teach for America. They have certification programs. The downside is that you may be sent to areas where there are shortages of teachers. The good side is that the pay is appreciably higher than most most beginning BA teachers.

You would have to do your teaching in the U.S..


"... On their website it says the school pays you the same as a normal teacher though. Not much in rural areas. Definitely something to keep in mind though.


What is a "normal teacher"?

In the state where my niece teaches, the starting pay for a first year teacher is $28,000.00. She's getting $40,000.

Forget it.


I mean, the TFA teacher gets paid the same as an entry level teacher in that district. Or so it says on their website, as far as I can tell. You are paid by the district and get the same benis as other teachers in the district. $40k sounds about right for a major southern city (maybe even on the low side). Salaries can vary widely within the same state. A remote small town may pay $20k in her state


If she completes her two-year teaching program, the program pays her school debts. The catch is that they put the teachers in some of the worst schools.
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jm21



Joined: 26 Feb 2008
Posts: 406

PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 10:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bud Powell wrote:
jm21 wrote:
Bud Powell wrote:
jm21 wrote:
Bud Powell wrote:
If you already have a BA, look into Teach for America. They have certification programs. The downside is that you may be sent to areas where there are shortages of teachers. The good side is that the pay is appreciably higher than most most beginning BA teachers.

You would have to do your teaching in the U.S..


"... On their website it says the school pays you the same as a normal teacher though. Not much in rural areas. Definitely something to keep in mind though.


What is a "normal teacher"?

In the state where my niece teaches, the starting pay for a first year teacher is $28,000.00. She's getting $40,000.

Forget it.


I mean, the TFA teacher gets paid the same as an entry level teacher in that district. Or so it says on their website, as far as I can tell. You are paid by the district and get the same benis as other teachers in the district. $40k sounds about right for a major southern city (maybe even on the low side). Salaries can vary widely within the same state. A remote small town may pay $20k in her state


If she completes her two-year teaching program, the program pays her school debts. The catch is that they put the teachers in some of the worst schools.


Really, they pay for all the school debt? I thought it was just the standard Americorps loan forgiveness ($4,725 per year). Will have to look at that again.

Looks like it's a combination of low income urban neighborhoods and rural under-served areas. I'm fine with rural. You pick 10 places and then they choose which you get. So should be able to basically choose urban or rural, just not which part of the country.


Edit:
Appears to be $4,725 for now and it seems to go down every year...not guaranteed and only applies to govt loans. Also it's taxable income.

But they also defer and pay the interest on your student loans. I wonder if that counts towards the 10 year loan forgiveness for public service under programs like the IBR? Seems like it should.

Really wish I had known about them when I was 22. Then again, I might not have had the confidence to make it in.
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Welcheronymus



Joined: 08 Aug 2009
Posts: 49
Location: The Middle Kingdom

PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 1:31 pm    Post subject: Re: getting QTS from Texas or Florida Reply with quote

jm21 wrote:
The texas programs seem pretty nice and they have an option for doing one year of paid teaching to get certified, which is not a bad deal at all.

I'm a little bit confused about how the teacher ready program from Florida works though. They say the teaching can be done outside of Florida but will they let you do it outside America? Has anyone tried this? Previous posts seem to imply you can. If you can do it from China it seems like a helluva bang for your buck if you're interested in teaching k-12.

On the other hand a year or two of teaching in Texas wouldn't be bad and would really amp up the resume.

Are there other states with similar programs? I'm from Washington and it's much harder and much more expensive to get certified there. Not sure it would be worth it.


@JM21-
I started the TeacherReady program in the USA, working with a mentor teacher at an American middle school (I was working on English, grades 6-12). I did the observations, interviews, etc in an American classroom for the first few months of the program. I found it beneficial to see how things are done in the USA.

Mid way through the program i took a job teaching ESL at a high school in China. I was able to complete the remaining assignments in my classroom or interviewing and observing other teachers (at my school in China or by contacting teacher friends in the US to interview them).

The final part of the program involves observed teaching. For this, I had one of the assistant principals at my Chinese high school observe me and complete the documentation for this part of the program. As long as your Chinese observer is a certified teacher and has 3+ years of experience, their observations should be accepted by the state of Florida. Confirm that with the TeacherReady program co-ordinator, though.

I'm not a resident of Florida but I am now certified for English, grades 6-12, in that state. You don't have to go to Florida to take the certification tests (I didn't) and you probably can get the fingerprinting done out of state, too (I did mine in South Carolina, but that was 6 months ago and things may have changed). Again, inquire with the Florida Department of Education or TeacherReady on that.

All of this is based on my assumption you are a US resident. (You said you're from Washington, but your usage of QTS sounds British to me). If you are not a US citizen, then inquire with TR about how the program can or cannot benefit you as a non-citizen.

Hope that helps.
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