Para-Educator- cheapest program

Hello, Wondering about the above. This may be more effective on a resume then random Prof. Dev. certs. I have a BA so this is an add on. Many thanks. Hille

 

Hi! If by "para-educator" you're referring to a teacher's assistant or paraprofessional (different school divisions call them different things) then you really don't need a certification. No Child Left Behind simply requires you to be "highly qualified" which is having A) a minimum of an associates degree or B) passing a test demonstrating competencies.

Since you have a bachelor's degree, you're more than qualified to be a paraprofessional. However, if you're going to be working with children, I would recommend doing a workshop on child abuse awareness. Most states require individuals who work with children in a k-12 environment to complete sessions on recognizing the signs of child abuse. Virginia Commonwealth University has a free course you can go through. It takes maybe an hour. I did it, but I can't remember exactly how long it took. When you finish it gives you a certificate you can print out.

http://www.vcu.edu/vissta/training/va_teachers/

Hope this helps you. You may also want to ensure you have courses or knowledge in basic computing proficiences and human growth and development.

 

Matt is correct in what he has said. There are certs available for some things (they tend to be SpEd oriented) but they are not necessary to get the job and they can be earned by anyone, even full fledged teachers (actually, that's who mostly gets 'em).