The cost of certification

I met with someone at a local college that offers a certification-only program in addition to it's certification/degree combo. (I'd love to go back to school and get another degree, but there's the small matter of feeding my family to consider.)

The cost of the classes is roughly $15,000. That's about $15,000 I'll have to shell out for the privilege of taking a massive reduction in my current salary. And it gets worse: a portion of those courses is called "student teaching" during which I'll not only pay my tuition, but I'll also have to teach full time for 10 weeks without drawing a paycheck. That's right - somehow the rules say I have to pay to work full time. This is after I've already spent a semester as a full-time student taking the necessary classes, and during which I assume I'll have an equally difficult time generating income. This is basically the same deal offered by the other local college I visited, except their tuition to cover the certification-only option came close to $30,000, total. Although, to be fair, their class schedule was a bit more flexible (night classes) which would allow me to work while I took classes. But they were also careful to point out that holding another job while I performed the student teaching was strictly forbidden.

I asked my host how other people pay for this program and have enough money to live at the same time. She said many of them take out student loans and get other jobs to make ends meet.

I understand the need to qualify teachers, but this requirement seems like it does more to turn people away from teaching in the first place.

Alternative Certification - a touchy subject?

Private and charter schools do not require teachers to be certified, but as I was told by the principal at a nearby charter school: all other things being equal, he is more likely to hire the certified teacher since he knows that teacher will at least have some baseline familiarity with classroom management and the teaching task. He also said he encourages those teachers who aren't certified to get certified at some point. So I guess I should get the certification out of the way before I start, if I have the luxury to do so.

Not knowing any better, I simply chose the closest state University which I thought had a large education department, went to their website and sent an email to the contact listed for the certification program. The email exchange surprised me:

My original letter:

Dr X,

My wife and I are relocating to Illinois and I plan to pursue a career in teaching - high school physics, to be exact.

I obtained my MS in physics in 1998 and spent the last 12 years in industry, so I need a teaching certificate and I'm exploring my options. Starting my search at XXX seems a logical choice but I notice on your website that XXX doesn't offer alternative certification, and I'm under the impression that alternative certification is the most appropriate route for someone like me.

Do you have any suggestions on the best path to certification for someone in my situation?

Thanks very much and best regards,
Ben Cain

The response:

Alternative certification programs have proven themselves very poor at preparing teachers who survive in the classroom. Also, in the current climate of an tremendous over supply of qualified teachers, districts are not hiring such individuals. If you wish an alternative certification program there are still some universities that will provide one,if you pay the extra amounts required. They will not guarantee you any placement for student teaching etc.

X

No suggestions on how to move forward; no plug for his own program; no appeal to me to visit his school and spend my tuition dollars there. Nothing at all but apparent derision for alternative certification programs, devoid of references to substantiate his numerous negative assertions.

Whatever his stream of negativity might imply, I'm certainly inclined to avoid doing any more research into his program. I'll just move on.

Also interesting is his assertion that there is a "tremendous over supply of qualified teachers." If he's right, this doesn't bode well for me! However, it goes against what I'm hearing from just about everyone else in teaching.