Stresses

UPDATE: I don't think I mentioned it when I first wrote this post, but I got so annoyed about the whole situation that I actually emailed the state commissioner of education, who got back to me within the hour, promising to look into my situation. Two days later I got a call from some high-up muckety-muck in the state Dept of Ed, and was told that if I sent my application in again, they would issue me a two-year certificate. Woo hoo!

Warning: this is a boring post that is mostly me venting my frustration about red tape, with even more boring background info. Feel free to skip it.

When I was in high school, I talked to several of my favorite teachers about wanting to become a teacher. A few of them gave me similar advice: don’t go to college for education. The programs are a joke, you won’t enjoy it – study the topic you’re interested in, and get certified afterward.

I took their advice and got a degree in English Literature. I don’t regret earning that degree, because I loved getting it. I took classes in poetry, science fiction, Latino literature, Chaucer, short stories, post-modern fiction and lots of other fun stuff, and I loved almost all of my lit classes. But, “getting certified afterward” turned out to be a big headache.

In New York City, at the time I started teaching, there was a shortage of certified teachers. In the years leading up to my graduation from college, the city had a policy whereby a non-certified teacher could be hired if she had expertise in a certain area, and if she began to work on her certification once she started teaching. Throughout college I planned to use this route to certification. However, the New York City Teaching Fellows program took effect, as did a new mayoral administration, and this path to certification was closed. So, I worked for a year as a research assistant at City College, and applied to the NYC Teaching Fellows.

I was accepted as a Fellow and began teaching and taking classes toward my Master’s in Education. But my first year of teaching was a nightmare, and by March I was determined to get into a better school. I applied and was hired at a charter school, which was great except that it meant I could no longer be a Teaching Fellow – my new school was not considered “high needs”, rendering me ineligible. Not wanting to have to pay back the subsidies the city had provided toward my Master’s, I quietly left the Fellows program. However, by that time I had earned enough education credits to apply for NYS certification independently. My credits combined with my year of experience got me an initial teaching license.

When I moved to Oregon, I was able to use their reciprocity agreement to obtain a transitional license, and have since been taking the classes and exams I need to move up to the next step of licensure there. By December I’ll be done with my Master’s degree.

But, now I’m in Alaska. And Alaska has all kinds of ridiculous forms and requirements for state certification. So, even though I have 6 years of experience, a nearly-completed Master’s degree, and certification in two other states, I’ve been found ineligible for certification here.

And guess what I have to do to get certified here – this is the real joke – enroll in an initial teacher preparation program. The same exact program that people with absolutely no educational experience whatsoever would have to apply for, if they wanted to become teachers.

On top of this lovely little debacle, I’m also trying to figure out how to fulfill those requirements I mentioned earlier for my next Oregon license. There’s this civil rights knowledge requirement that, until this month, I would’ve been able to complete through an online class. Suddenly the requirement has changed and I now have to take a test in person. There’s some chance I could take it in Anchorage – at a cost of several hundred dollars to get there and back – if not, I’m not sure what I’ll do there.

And then there’s the matter of the district office not giving me or B full credit for our years of experience. No big deal, just a little clerical error, but it means neither one of us got the full paycheck we should’ve gotten this month.

I’m also trying to apply for graduation from my current Master’s program – so far that’s been straightforward enough but I’ll stop holding my breath on that one when I actually have the degree in hand.

And, finally, one of our four renters has informed us she’s moving out.

And to think I thought life would be simpler, less stressful, up here.