Black Collegian Career Center

Just because you already started practicing your step to “Pomp and Circumstance,” it doesn’t mean you can’t change your mind about what to do with your future. If you are considering being a part of America’s teaching profession then go for it; it’s not too late---even if you don’t have a major in education.

Webster’s II New Riverside Dictionary defines ‘teach’ as: (1) to communicate knowledge or skill. (2) To provide instruction in. (3) to give insight by example or experience.

Notice that the definition makes no mention of your undergraduate degree or previous plans you had for the rest of your life. If you want to make a difference in the public school setting, you still can!

“In the last decade, alternative teacher certification has spawned many new programs that provide excellent preparation and training for a career in teaching,” cites the National Center for Education Information (NCEI) State Survey of Alternative Teacher Certification. “It is estimated that more than 175,000 persons have been licensed through these programs and thousands more are being licensed in college alternative teacher preparation programs.”

Where can I find these programs?

“In 2002, 45 states, plus the District of Columbia, report having some type of alternative teacher certification program,” the NCEI further reports.

These programs are specifically meant to provide opportunities for students who decide late in their college studies or after graduation that they indeed want to be a part of educating America’s youth.

One such program is Teach for America. Each year the organization selects a corps of more than 1,000 recent college graduates of all academic majors who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools. They train the graduates together during summer institutes, place them as full-time, paid teachers in urban and rural public schools, and coordinate an ongoing network to support them during their two years as teachers and beyond.

“We look for people who don’t have an education background and give them the foundation and the framework to be effective teachers,” said Melissa Golden, Vice President of Marketing and Communication for Teach for America.

According to Golden, diversity is also a goal of the program. “Thirty-eight percent of our corps is people of color, we’re bringing together an incredibly diverse group of future leaders and young people.”

One shining example featured in Teach for America’s recruitment information is Maurice Rabb, who majored in Chinese at Georgetown University. Through Teach for America he taught in Los Angeles, a kindergarten class in which the organization reports that 16 of his 20 students were not academically ready for kindergarten. But, by the end of the year all of his students were fully prepared academically for first grade according to California State Standards.

“Maurice truly exemplifies the leadership, commitment and passion that we are looking for in a corps member,” said Golden.

Teach for America prides itself on being about more than simply teaching. They describe their program as the opportunity to make an impact in the lives of children and effect long-term change. Their ideal candidate demonstrates leadership ability, strong critical thinking skills and a record of outstanding achievement in past endeavors, whether in academics, extra-curricular activities, or work experience.

Could that be you? Find out more information and complete the online application by visiting their Web site at www.teachforamerica.org. Prospective teachers can also use The National Teacher Recruitment Clearinghouse, at www.recruitingteachers.org, for a wealth of information on the ins and outs of getting into the teaching field. The site is hosted by Recruiting New Teachers, Inc., which was established in 1986 to help build a qualified diverse corps of teachers. Key features include, in layman’s terms, explanations of often confusing terminology and procedures like licensure and certification, how to become a teacher, how to find a teaching job, a national job bank portal, guidance on choosing a good program and additional resources to investigate.

Another alternative to entering the teaching profession without an education degree is via state programs. “It is not uncommon to get to your senior year and decide that you want to teach,” said Professor Itihari Toure, the coordinator of Clark Atlanta University’s Post Baccalaureate Teacher Certification Program. “The state approves universities to offer an alternative track for teaching and our program at Clark Atlanta University is one of those.” Formerly called “Program for Late Decision Makers,” this program provides an alternative route to teaching for Clark’s non-education majors and others interested in the field.

The Georgia Teacher Professional Standards Committee assumes full responsibility for the certification, preparation, and conduct of all public school personnel. To find out more about this opportunity or other approved programs in this state, go to www.gapsc.com. Information about the CAU program can be obtained by calling (404) 880-8485 or you can e-mail Professor Toure at itoure@panthernet.cau.edu.

Is the Job Market Favorable?

As the numbers of enrolled students, teachers expected to retire, births and immigrants continue to rise, so rises the demand for educators. To address this need for more teachers, school districts and state Departments of Education have established incentive programs, especially where the need is greatest, like in inner city and rural schools and in fields such as mathematics, science and bi-lingual education.

Since teacher salaries usually don’t stand up to many other white-collar professions, attracting potential educators has been challenging. But there have been some creative incentives such as housing subsidies, low- and no-interest loans for housing, relocation costs, onsite day care, financial aid for teacher certification costs and tax credits. In some places there are even bonuses and other financial gains when you sign on the dotted line in high-need geographic and subject-matter areas. Beware, though, no one ever went into teaching to get rich, and THAT hasn’t changed!

Teaching salaries have risen in the past year, but not as much as the year before. According to the American Federation of Teachers’ 1999-2000 teacher salary survey, the average beginning teacher salary was $27, 989, up 4.2 percent from the previous year; this marked a slight decrease from the 4.4 percent salary hike in 1998-1999. The highest starting salaries were Alaska at $33,676; California, at $32,190; New York at $31,910; Delaware, at $30, 945; and Washington DC, at $30,850.

Why Should I Teach?

“We’re in a critical teaching shortage nationally with only 7 percent of teachers being African American,” cited Toure. Dr. Earlyn Jordon, Ed.D., who is involved in several teacher recruitment and education programs at Fayetteville State University’s School of Education in North Carolina, confirmed and explained the scarce number of minority teachers. “The blatant fact is that there is a declining percentage of traditional college age minorities enrolling in college. Of the number of students who are attending college, the number of those who choose to major in teacher education is even smaller. In 2002, the disparity that exists in the teaching force between the number of white and minority teachers is acute.”

These facts demonstrate the potentiality for African Americans to have little or no impact on our children’s futures. If we don’t get into the schools, our children will have no role models, our parents will have fewer partners, non-minorities (and some minorities) will still believe we are intellectually inferior and our collective voice won’t be heard when educational policy is being formulated. If you have a baccalaureate degree in any field and you want to be a teacher ---It’s never too late to do so!

Pamela M. McBride is a 12-year career management professional and freelance writer who frequently contributes to THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Magazine.