69传媒

Special Report
Teacher Preparation Opinion

How Licensing Rules Kept One Teacher of the Year Out of Public 69传媒

By Megan M. Allen 鈥 December 06, 2017 3 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

I used to be a public school teacher.

Now, I鈥檓 not.

So, what led me out of the classroom?

A state reciprocity barrier.

Five years ago, I was teaching in a 5th grade classroom in Tampa, Fla. I was a proud Shaw Bulldog, working in a hybrid role in which I would teach half the day, then work in a teacher-leadership role for the Center for Teaching Quality, a national nonprofit that promotes teacher voice.

BRIC ARCHIVE

I almost had more certificates and endorsements than I could count on one hand. They included my Florida elementary and exceptional student teaching certificates, my endorsement for teaching English-language learners, and my National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification.

I had also taught for 10 years, mentored new teachers, and taught at the University of Central Florida for a year, preparing teacher-candidates and supporting preservice teachers in their practicum-teaching semesters. If you want to really get metacognitive with instructional moves and pedagogy, try coaching and facilitating soon-to-be-teachers.

I had completed almost all the classes for my educational doctorate in administration for teaching and leadership (about 50 credits in administration leadership), and I had racked up more professional-development points than I could keep track of. (My district, Hillsborough County, had the most amazing PD opportunities!) In 2010, I had been named the Florida teacher of the year.

I was feeling confident about my expertise and experience, because I had jumped through so many hurdles to prove I knew my craft to the 鈥減owers-that-be鈥 in my state. I thought I had worked hard enough to appease the mysterious man or woman behind the teacher-qualifications curtain. But that wasn鈥檛 the case.

I was moving to Massachusetts, so I eagerly looked into certificate reciprocity, thinking that some or all my certificates would be honored in my new state. What I found was confusing and disheartening.

This was the gist. I could apply for a temporary license that was good for one year, but then I would have to take the appropriate Massachusetts tests for educator license鈥攖wo of them, in fact: general curriculum and foundations of reading.

My initial reaction was one of frustration. I didn鈥檛 feel like I was valued for any of the expertise that I had earned, worked hard for, and proved.

And I was confused. Web-surfing became my life, through hard-to-navigate state department of education websites and portals that looked like something I had created back in my college sophomore computer science class in 1998.

I looked elsewhere, quickly finding a job outside public education, at Mount Holyoke College, preparing teacher-candidates for their first classrooms.

I鈥檓 thankful for my current career path and the winding road of a leadership journey I鈥檝e been on, but I can鈥檛 help but wonder what might have been if I hadn鈥檛 hit this barrier.

This leads me to a few large, simmering questions:

1. How do our complicated certificate and license issues affect educator retention?

2. How does the patchwork of certification and licensure systems affect or even add to education shortages as a nation?

3. Why is National-Board certification, the gold standard for teaching, not the natural answer to licensure and certification issues?

4. How can we not lower the bar but simplify the system?

I alone don鈥檛 have the answers to those questions. But I鈥檓 hopeful for recent states鈥 and organizations鈥 efforts to streamline and clarify the process for teachers. (I thank you and see your efforts, new home state!)

The National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification has drafted an interstate agreement that helps teachers navigate the map of reciprocal states, and鈥擨 hope鈥攚ill encourage states to move toward measures that make it easier for teachers to move across state lines.

Also, the Education Commission of the States , which shines some light on state reciprocity, and found that more states are making it easier for teachers to transfer their licenses.

We have taken some steps in the right direction. But we must continue to engage in dialogue about our licensure system as a profession and as a nation, digging into the hard work to press out the wrinkles so it makes more sense.

Coverage of policy efforts to improve the teaching profession is supported by a grant from the Joyce Foundation, at. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.

Events

School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in 69传媒
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What鈥檚 Trending among K-12 Leaders?
What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What鈥檚 Trending among K-12 Leaders?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide 鈥 elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Teacher Preparation Then & Now Why We Still Haven't Solved Teacher Shortages (Despite Decades of Trying)
The teacher-shortage discourse has a long history鈥攁nd no perfect solutions.
6 min read
Conceptual image of drawing new graduates to the teaching workforce.
Laura Baker/Education Week via Canva
Teacher Preparation Opinion Ed. 69传媒 Face a Choice: Reform or Fade Away
If schools of education are to be revitalized, it will likely be red states leading the way, an education professor argues.
Robert Maranto
5 min read
Illustration of a college campus fading away.
Education Week + iStock
Teacher Preparation Democrats and Republicans Agree Teacher Prep Needs to Change. But How?
Teacher-prep programs "have been designed essentially to mass-produce identical educators," a dean said at a congressional hearing.
7 min read
A 1st grade teacher at Capital City Public Charter School leads a lesson about bee colonies with her students.
A 1st grade teacher at Capital City Public Charter School leads a lesson about bee colonies with her students. At Sept. 25 congressional hearing focused on the quality of the nation's teacher-preparation programs.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Teacher Preparation Teachers' Unions Are Starting Teacher-Prep Programs. Here's What to Know
The Washington Education Association is pioneering a teacher residency for special education. Other unions are noticing.
10 min read
Patrice Madrid, left, leads a Functional Core Program for 3rd through 5th graders as part of a teacher residency program under the guidance of staff teacher Shannon Winthrow, right, at Star Lake Elementary in Kent, Wash., on May 7, 2024.
Patrice Madrid, left, leads a special education classroom for 3rd through 5th graders as part of the Washington Education Association's teacher residency program under the guidance of staff teacher Shannon Withrow, right, at Star Lake Elementary in Kent, Wash., on May 7, 2024.
Meron Menghistab for Education Week