Fellow Warriors,
It sure felt like a rejection letter to me! I recently applied for a teaching certificate in the hopes that having one prior to completing my master’s degree would help me to get hired somewhere. “That’s a negative, Ghost Rider!”
Somewhere along the way, I had stubbornly embedded the idea that having a bachelor’s degree would automatically qualify me for a temporary teaching certificate. If that had ever been a fact, I just don't know. I do know now that this is a MYTH! Yes, you do need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution for the Board of Education in the various states to even consider you as a teaching candidate. However, there will be more requirements you will need to meet to get that coveted license.
Let’s take two states for example:
In Florida, all I need to do for a Temporary Certificate is pass their state approved test, the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE). Passing that will get me a temporary teaching certificate that is valid for only three years. Within those three years, I will need to complete further education (which I already have) and take a couple other tests. Then I will be granted a Permanent Teaching Certificate.
In Virginia, I need to pass the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VLCA), Virginia Reading Assessment (VRA) and the PRAXIS II tests. Plus all the other schooling I've accomplished.
The "other schooling:" Here’s how I found out what I needed. I know that I ultimately want to wind up in Florida. During a Troops To Teachers (TTT) briefing I attended a while back, I found that the FL TTT office will provide military members with an unofficial review of their unofficial transcripts. You will need to contact the TTT office in the state you want to teach in to see if they provide the same service. From that, I was given specific course areas (what the school systems call "core" courses). For me this included a passing a few more English, history, and science courses at the upper level. This gives the prospective teacher a deeper background in the (core subject) areas they are going to be teaching.
Anyway, there is still time for me to make this decision about which avenue to pursue. You, on the other hand, probably need to get crackin’! Do you want a good head start? Contact the TTT office in the area you are stationed or are looking to “retire” to. They should be able to talk to you about formal and alternative routes for licensure, and possibly get you headed in the direction that makes the most sense for you. http://www.dantes.doded.mil/dantes_Web/library/docs/ttt/state_office_listing.pdf
More to follow…
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