Certified Teacher

Factual Questions
1

Does anybody know what is involved in getting a teaching certificate for high school if you have already completed a bachelor degree (non-teaching)? I know you can substitute, but what about becoming a permanent teacher? Do you have to get another bachelors degree in education? Can you go straight to a Master’s program, if you want a Masters? How long (semesters) does it take to get certified? Do teachers have to have so many classes in what they teach (I had a teacher who taught Algebra and English)? These question are for Illinois, but information on other states is appreciated too.

2

Google, “illinois teacher certification”. Pick one. The PDF file is the official one from the State.

http://www.academploy.com/cert/certil.htm
http://ed-web3.educ.msu.edu/infostu/isbe/default.htm
http://www.isbe.state.il.us/teachers/teachers.htm
http://www.svcc.cc.il.us/academics/departments/social_science/human_service/93.pdf

3

I’m certified in Michigan and already had my B.A. before.

  1. Complete a certification program at a university(about a year and a half full-time).

  2. Pass difficult tests in the areas your are going to be certified in. Actually, the difficulty is dependant on what it is. English/History is really hard, but I have heard Math is easy.

  3. Send a check to the state.

  4. In order to maintain certification, you must pursue your masters within 6 years.

4

Is it true you can start teaching before you have teaching certificate and work towards getting your certificate while teaching? What are the requirements for this?

5

I am in Texas, and mine was the same as Mahaloth in Michigan, except for the part about the Masters. It took me 3 years to get through my deficiency plan (the remaining college hours in education), but I only went in the summers, and never more than 3 hours at a time.

Yes you can, at least in the Great State of Texas. It really matters what you wantto teach though. Science, Math and Special Ed. are easy to get. English and Social Studies are harder b/c there is not so much of a shortage.

6

I looked into doing this (in Texas) back around 1997 or so. There’s a fast track to getting certified that Texas and most of the other states plus D.C. have called Alternative Teaching Certification. Here’s the link for you:

http://www.glarrc.org/Resources/Docs/AltTeacherCert.htm

When I inquired about it, the process was described to me (in the literature provided from the local regional office) as such:

  1. You have to already have your Bachelor’s.
  2. Apply to join the program (which mostly involves providing transcripts).
  3. When accepted, take your letter of acceptance to local school districts to apply for a job. If no job is available for you in your field… well, tough; you’ve got to find someone willing to hire you.
  4. In the six weeks prior to school, the State Education Agency through the local regional offices will offer a crash course in Teacher Ed. This costs no money up front–they’ll dock your pay about $100/mo for the first year you teach.
  5. School starts; happy teaching! Oh, and once a month you’ll have to spend a full weekend in “class” with the other Alt. Cert. Teachers.
  6. One year later, you are a genuine certified-with-the-state-of-Texas teacher and your paychecks are now all yours!

It’ll take a lot less time and money than enrolling in a one year (in TX) post-bac program at a University.