Job Discussion Forums

JZer · Joined: 16 Jan 2005 Posts: 3898 Location: Pittsburgh

I am interested if anyone can tell me about Alternative Certification programs. What program did you do and how was it?

I know of some programs:

Texas Fellows program

Teach America

Philadelphia Fellow program

Any other programs out there?

Anyway to get a position and work on alternative certification in a rural area?

housecat · Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Posts: 104 Location: usa

I'm in the middle of an alternative cert and MAT program. It's a Master of Arts in Teaching and certification. Takes about two years. I'm not now, but could be working and studying. These programs tend to be less advertised, for some reason. But in the same amount of time, or nearly the same, you can be certified and have a Master's degree.

bdbarnett1 · Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 9:44 pm Post subject:

loads of programs...I went through one myself in Texas. I would go to the state's education website that you're interested...in Texas, there's a long list of acceptable ACP programs.

JZer · Joined: 16 Jan 2005 Posts: 3898 Location: Pittsburgh

The bigger point is to find a state that will offer a job to a non-certified teacher. I am interesting in teaching ESL or elementary education. What state is of little relevance? I would like to work in a rural area and not in an inner city school.

Chancellor · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 6:34 pm Post subject:

pak1789 · Joined: 18 Jan 2008 Posts: 9 Location: Greenville, SC, USA

Here is the link to some info about PACE, the alternative certification program here in sunny South Carolina:

http://www.scteachers.org/cert/pace/overview.cfm

It includes a link to upcoming information sessions about the PACE program.

Although I got certified the traditional route, I know of many teachers who have gone through PACE.

South Carolina is a nice place to live, and since you are looking for a rural area, finding a job shouldn't be too hard. It's hard for districts to find teachers willing to come to rural areas.

Also, here is a link to SC's upcoming annual teacher job fair:

http://www.cerra.org/careers/expo.html

Both PACE and the state department of education have representatives at this job fair.

Hope this helps!

pak

Vanica · Joined: 31 Aug 2006 Posts: 368 Location: North Carolina

TeachNola in New Orleans.
North Carolina.
I think New Mexico, Virginia.
Memphis.
Washington State will not consider uncertified.

Did you check teachers-teachers.com? As I said in other posts, asst. principals telephone ME from that website.

I might be going to NC. Have you had ozone warnings yet in Greenville?

john_n_carolina · Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 700 Location: n. carolina

...Vanica, see ya in Greenville...should be there late summer / early fall. excellent ACP program at ECU....and many rural jobs close by, to start while you're doing your certification. if you like sports or have kids, Greenville was voted #1 sports-related city by Sports Illustrated in 2006.

JZer · Joined: 16 Jan 2005 Posts: 3898 Location: Pittsburgh

rusmeister · Joined: 15 Jun 2006 Posts: 867 Location: Russia

The ones that I was offered/could find when I was going for my cert pushed you through a lot of the same hoops in different order, maybe a little more flexibility - but the same general requirements, certainly as regarded state-required courses. The main difference was in time and convenience - some stretched out the reqs for people with little time, others compacted them into, say, a year or so for people in a hurry.