Lawyer-turned-SAHM here contemplating a huge career change to teaching. My state requires a BA (which I have) plus graduation from a state-accredited teachers program. I went through the list of accredited programs and the one that is the most flexible (wholly online except the demonstrative teaching aspect of course) and affordable is western governors university. It's an online school. I'd get a masters in teaching. Does anyone know if the "prestige" in where a degree is obtained from matters a lot when job searching? I'm used to law where of course, the name of the law school is the number one factor in finding a job. Is teaching like that too?
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I don't think it matters as much in k-12 teaching.
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I don't think it matters at all, especially in a state that only requires a BA for a teaching license. Passion and experience are more valuable I think.
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It doesn't matter where I teach in PA. I would find out from them how they manage your student teaching placement because in my district, there is usually a prior relationship before someone comes in to do student teaching or internships (either between the university and the district or the student and the district).
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Following to see what others have to say. I'm also gearing up to go back to school to teach (I have an English lit degree that I haven't used) and I'm strongly considering Washington governor's university as well.
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Is this a masters program that ends in teaching certification?
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In my state (PA), I would say that it's not so much a name thing as you have your certifications, your BA, and your personality/passion for teaching. Personally, I didn't get my masters until after I started teaching - and it was really only so I could get a pay bump. I know this is the case for a lot of my co-workers too.
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@jhd: @Mrs. Lion: @Mamag511: thank you for your input, ladies. It's so vastly different from law! And in a great way
@gilmoregirl: yes. It's for ppl who already have a BA; you end up with a Masters in Teaching which allows you to teach k-12 in my state
@LindsayLou: oh looks like we are in the same situation! Good luck to you! I'm really drawn to this program because it seems most flexible and with 2 little ones and a husband with a demanding career , I cant attend in person classes
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I don't think that the name matters too much, however, there are a few other factors I'd keep in mind:
1) quality of the program--they are definitely not all created equal & especially in online programs (where so much discussions done in forums online, etc. for classes) the quality of other candidates accepted is something keep in mind as it can really drive the quality of the course2) certification--If you're getting a masters in teaching, you MAY want to consider getting a more specific certification that would allow you to do other things down the line (if you are at all interested in that) and then simply take the Praxis exam for the subject area you're interested in. This may or may not be possible, but it could be worth considering. Obviously a master's is a huge time/$$ commitment and it would stink to do it and later wish for additional certification (that also might require an additional masters. This is the situation I'm in.)
3) Have you considered alternative pathways to certification? Some states have "alternate route" programs where you get an initial certification, then find a job and take a class or two during your first year teaching (which also usually counts as your "student" teaching). After that, you're certified. It can be tougher to get a job in a competitive market but in my view is definitely worth looking into. It's a challenging first year (the first year always is anyway!) but also can be a great way for people switching careers to get involved in teaching.
Good luck. It's a demanding but rewarding & important profession!
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School name would matter in a high performing district... so it kind of depends where you want to teach.
Some states have programs where you get hired by a district and then you can get your Master's subsidized. In NY you have to have your master's within 5 years of being hired anyway.
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@pinkcupcake: I actually got my Masters in Education in Curriculum and Instruction at Western Governors University last year. It was a largely positive experience, really fast and cheap (it took 6 months and 3k.) I already have my credential though.
I already have a job, so I got it to move over on the pay scale. I would only worry about prestige if you wanted to get a PhD because WGU is pass/fail so your GPA is automatically a 3.0. Let me know if you have any questions! -
I have an mEd that I got after I started teaching but in similar situation that I only had my BA in my subject matter. The prestige doesn't matter but my advice would be to find something local (I did mine in a cohort program that was designed for teachers and my credits were thru a local
State university). That way you will forge connections and I assume have an easier time with figuring out where you'd do student teaching. -
I taught for 8 years and have worked in school admin for the last 5. It just sort of depends on what part of the country you're in and how competitive the field is. Where I am at, if I had two candidates in front of me for a position, I would never exclusively look at where they got their credentials from. However, we've had several candidates who had done their work at an online school like Lamar University and they don't have to have as much in-person practicum or field work as one would if they attended a local college or university and that is what makes a difference to me when I am interviewing candidates.
Just wondering--why are you pursuing your Masters in Teaching without experiencing the field first? I think you could save a lot of money, time, and effort if you just did your alternative certification since you already have a degree and then pursued your masters if you enjoyed the field.
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I studied teacher credentialing for a living. Get a degree from a state university in your state. Look for an alternate certification or teacher residency program. What state are you in? I can send you some recommended programs.
Don't get an out of state masters. You'll likely need to retake courses to get your cert
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@pinkcupcake: I ask only because I had a B A and switched to teaching 6 years ago. I have an MEd but my teaching credential was obtained simultaneously and not through my graduate program. I did take some of my grad classses online but I completed my certification coursework in person. Through a state university. It wasn't actually a great option (took too long and paid too much) but I was in an isolated area with few options for post baccalaureate certification.
I don't know anything about the program you have in mind but I would be skeptical (as a student; I've never hired teachers) of a teaching credential obtained online because practical classroom experience is so critical.
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@Pollywog: Would you mind sending me some recommended programs in either Washington state or Oregon? We're currently in Washington but considering a move across the bridge to Oregon.
The flexibility and lower cost of an online program is definitely tempting. But the in person learning, community connections, and support of a well regarded state university are also appealing.
@pinkcupcake: yup, sounds like we're in similar spots. Good luck to you as well!
Sorry to thread jack!
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FL has one of the broadest Alternative Certification processes. There are all kinds of ways to be certified without a masters!
At one point we did try to do a study of the most effect teacher prep programs but its very hard to correlate the success back to the program. -
@Pollywog: I'm in wa state and this program through WGU is certified by my state, so it's not considered out of state I think?
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@matador84: I was thinking of going the MA route because I was told teachers with a Ma have a easier time finding a job. Plus a teaching cert requires a year to obtain; if I could get both at the same time, it ultimately seems cheaper and more efficient.
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@pinkcupcake: In my school, and then the last one that I worked in as an administrator, we rarely hired people with alternative certifications, and I definitely looked at university programs. We were pretty picky. That doesn't mean you wouldn't get a teaching job, but as a first-year teacher you may be a little more limited coming out of a less well respected program. Once you have more experience, it would matter less, but again it depends on how sought after the district and/or schools are. If I have 30 candidates for positions I'm going to look at the whole package, and that includes their education.
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@travellingbee: would a program like Western Governors University be considered less respected?
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@pinkcupcake: I've never heard of it so I don't know... you asked if the prestige of the University matters, and I guess I mean you don't need to have gone to Columbia teachers college, but I would be looking for at least a state school, not an online only program or something.
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@travellingbee: thats very helpful, thank you!
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@pinkcupcake: No problem! I do think that depending on the area you would still be able to find a job, but again you may be more limited then someone who goes a more traditional route.
ETA: I should qualify that there are certain alternative teaching programs that are very well respected and result in high quality teachers. The first that comes to mind is teach for America. There are other much smaller organizations that produce excellent teachers as well though.
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@LindsayLou: I'd do the Seattle Teacher Residency @pinkcupcake:
In my experience, applicants who've done residency programs are way more prepared to be effective teachers https://nctresidencies.org/become-a-teacher/list-of-residency-programs/
UOTeach is a great program too. The goal is to get into the classroom as much as possible while working with a veteran teacher
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@Pollywog: I wish I could! I'm just outside of Portland, Oregon. So Seattle is 3+ hours away and just not feasible for me. If I do an in-person, local program, it'll probably be either Washington state university, which has a local campus, or Portland state university,
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@pinkcupcake: I think if it is an online program it really helps if its from a university that has a great in person program too.
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I might call some local school districts to see where they hire most of their teachers from. I don't think school prestige matters as much as connection, local state schools are usually a safe bet. In my experience, districts have relationships with local area colleges and do most of their hiring through those colleges.
Totally anecdotal, but a few teachers I knew who had degrees from really good well known schools (Boston College, Columbia) took longer to find jobs because they were from out of state schools and they didn't have any "connections" with the local schools.
The teachers I know who went for MAs from purely online schools already had initial certification and a job, and then got their MA online for the salary bump.
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