Question re: Teaching in Jacksonville, Florida (Tampa: job, moving to, school district)

[jmc]

I read the recent post regarding wanting to teach in Florida. For those of you who are FL teachers, won't I be exempt from the FCAT since I took a comparable test in CA called the MSAT (now the CSET) which covered multiple subjects, had essays, was exhausting, etc.? I had to pass it to student teach and get a CA credential. I am "No Child Left Behind" compliant here since I passed the MSAT, so will there be reciprocity with Florida? Just curious since my husband and I are probably moving to Jacksonville. Also, how hard is it to get into the St. Johns School district for teaching (elementary)? I'm already scared of the Duval district, and I don't even live there yet.

Thanks for any input you have!

[Karla with a K]

don't be afraid of all the Duval schools as I mentioned in the email I sent you I live right next door to 2 "A" schools a middle and elementary. Allot will depend on the area.
karla

[MortonR]

Looks like California is a hold out for the NASDTEC reciprocity agreement.

Here are Florida's requirements for people coming in from out of state:

http://www.fldoe.org/edcert/level1.asp

Good luck. If you took the Praxis or something similar, you'll have no problems passinng the Florida certification exams.

RM

[jmc]

Thanks for the advice! I checked the website, and with my valid CA teaching credential, I think I may be able to bypass the exam. Thanks so much for the info, though! Good advice, Karla, regarding the A schools in the Duval district.

[MortonR]

Also, the FCAT has nothing to do with professional licensing. It's a standardized test given from grades 3-10, and a requirement for (HS) graduation.

You can download the test prep booklets from the certification testing site at:

http://www.cefe.usf.edu/MainFront.aspx

Trust me, if you're reasonably intelligent you should have no problem passing the certification exams. I passed mine the first semester I had my core courses, and I did them without any preparation.

Just so you are aware, Jacksonville does have seasonal weather patterns, unlike the rest of Florida (to the south.) Temperatures can get pretty cold for the area compared with the rest of the state.

The Tampa-St.Pete area is pretty decent climate-wise, and while it's hellishly hot and humid in the summers, the winters are really nice. Pretty good teaching job oppportunities, too.

RM