A while back I submitted an alternative teaching license application to the Colorado Department of Education as some of you already know. This morning I got a big envelope with the results of their review of my transcript and so far I'm pretty happy. I'm qualified in terms of coursework to teach secondary math pending passing the PRAXIS or PLACE math subject test. Considering I've done math for engineering beyond differential equations that should be a given but I don't make the rules. In science they say I'm just missing 6 credit hours of biology which I actually may already have but I need to contact the CDE about that. I'm hoping they missed the credits given for my 5 (highest score) on the AP Biology test in high which CU has recognized on my college transcript. Either way I need to rectify that through coursework or my transcript and also take the science subject area tests on the PRAXIS or PLACE.
So my next steps look like this:
1) Schedule my tests since I'll need those regardless. I've looked at the material and it's no problem as long as I do a little studying and review. Some stuff has been years since I've covered it but I'm confident in my overall understanding.
2) Contact the CDE and see if I can use my current coursework and life experience (testing in a laboratory for my last job) to round out my needed 6 biology credits.
3) Take some community college or online biology classes if the CDE still deems me deficient in that area.
If I can take care of that stuff then I should earn a letter of eligibility with which to apply to schools directly for one of several alternative teaching programs. My guess is the latest I would start teaching would be one year from now but of course that is still dependent on a few things out of my control. I would prefer (I think) to teach science but at the very least it would be nice to have both math and science endorsements to fall back on.
Yikes it's all a little scary but I think it's a good thing. I've always considered being a teacher but money had been a big road block. Now that Marni and I own a house and have a good handle on our finances and what teachers can earn, it seems like a reasonable career for both of us. Sure it will never give me six figures but it's a career where I feel like I can make a difference which is more than I've been able to say about most of the jobs I've held to this point.
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5 comments:
Wow, Chris. Good stuff- if this is what you're going to enjoy that is worth something in itself. Pay is secondary.
Hey man, the wife and I both teach, you saw this summer how awesome that was. It's not worth it just for the breaks, but if you really enjoy it, teaching is one of the best professions out there. There is more than one way to make money as well. Good luck!
Travis
Teachers are awesome!!!!
Love,
Your Teacher MOM
:-)
Pardon me, but those bastards ought to be falling over backwards trying to get someone like you in a classroom.
And we wonder why we have dumb people in this country..
awesome!
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