...To California (Part Two)

A teacher formerly of Massachusetts, now of California, tells part II of her story...

After a year in Massachusetts [see From Boston (Part One)], I decide to move to California where I have to start all over again with certification because there's no transfer of provisional/step 1 type licensure. I end up having to take two new math proficiency tests to obtain a temporary license. I then take a few additional tests to enroll at Alliant University to gain teacher certification in California, and an intern license which allows me to teach for a year. I then obtain an initial license (step 2 license) at the end of my program. That milestone is finally at the end of my fifth year of teaching.

I thought I was done with certification programs and tests. However I find out in the fall of my sixth year of teaching that I will need to complete 2 years of beginning teacher's classes that are comparable in content to the very certification program I had just completed. I went through with it for about five months when I simply burned out from the whole process. I was deeply upset that all my years of teaching had afforded me no higher standing then a first year teacher in the eyes of the Department of Education, and that I had to resort to coursework that was added to my already demanding 60 hour work week. All said, it would mean I would not gain my teaching clear until my seventh year of teaching was completed.

8 years since I graduated college, and I've racked up:
7 years of teaching
3 math proficiency tests.
2 multiple subject tests
3 communication skills tests
4 earlier step teaching licenses
1 year of graduate school in education administration
1 year of a teacher certification program
.5 years of beginner teacher classes
0 professional licenses.