I currently have a BA and am working in the sales industry. I would like to change careers to teaching at the high school level. Due to family obligations, I cant afford to go back to school. I am looking for an accredited DL school that I could get a teching degree from. Can anyone give me some schools to look at?
A week or two ago there was a posting about a college in Arizona? that was offering a brand new teacher certication program through DL. I'll bet you could find it by searching through the past messages on this board. Jack
Two things: 1. Check out Rio Salado College in Arizona who are claiming the first teacher credential program on-line. Although not exactly accurate, it looks quite interesting. They seem to have gotten by one of the more difficult parts, that of the student teaching placement. They say that they will find you a placement wherever you live. 2. I humbly submit that a few of us (John Bear, Mariah Bear, Tom Head, and myself) recently collaborated on a book on this topic called, "Bears' Guide to the Best Education Degrees by Distance Learning" which will be available in September from Ten Speed Press, Amazon.com, and elsewhere. Feel free to check it out of a library (as soon as libraries have purchased it). We outline a number of programs that might work for you. Which might work best depends on many factors including the state where you live, the state where you wish to teach, the major of your undergraduate degree, and so on. Good luck! If you want to get specific (but not put your personal information here), feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]. Tom Nixon
http://www.chronicle.com/free/2001/08/2001080302u.htm http://www.rio.maricopa.edu/ci/visitors_center/education/teach_prep/teach_prep_prog.shtml I'm not a school teacher, but speaking as a layman here, the only real problem I can see for you is that this new program of Rio Salado College's will result in you earning an Arizona teaching credential. Apparently Illinois is not among those states (19 apparently) that have automatic reciprocity with Arizona. So I'd suggest that you investigate what it would take to translate an Arizona credential into an Illinois credential. I would wager that it isn't very difficult. There may be a requirement that you take a few Illinois-specific courses or something. Although, seeing as how you are in Chicago, if I were you I'd take another look at your many local colleges as well. Probably most of them have teacher education programs, some of which might offer the flexibility you need. You might find part-time and evening programs. But you will have to do your classroom observations and student teaching during conventional school times, I'm sure. That would be true with a DL program too.
