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Hello! My wife just recently graduated from ASU. She earned her bachelors degree in early childhood education and has accepted a teaching position in special education. She has taken and passed all but one exam, the AEPA special education early childhood exam certification. About two months ago she accepted and signed a teaching contract. The position requires her to have all of her teaching certificates. However, Arizona just signed into law, and goes into effect in August 2017, a bill that no longer requires educators to obtain thier special education certification to teach in those positions.
My wife is too scared and embarrassed to ask her HR and principal about what will happen if she takes and does not pass the exam. She has taken it twice now. Each attempt requires her to wait a month to retake it. Unfortunately, the exam has been revamped and there is not any practice exams on this particular exam. Nor can she find any source material to study. Two out of three parts of the exam she can pass. The collaborative portion she is having difficulty on, and in July will be her last and final attempt to take and pass it before she starts her teaching position.
Am I understanding this correctly......she hasn't passed a test that, as of this coming August, she doesn't even need to take?
What happens if she just doesn't take it again? She still has the job, doesn't she?
If she wants to take it again, does she know which section is tripping her up?
That is correct. A law was signed in and goes into effect in August that no longer requires educators be certified to teach special education. They passed this bill because special education is a very very tough position to fill and there is an extreme teacher shortage. However, regardless of the law, the district she will be working for is still demanding her take and pass this certification exam. She has her other teaching certifications, but somehow they are ignoring this law and stating that it doesn't apply to her because she starts the last week of July and the new law goes into effect August. Also, this freakin exam is $150 a pop. Before they rewrote the exam, any time an applicant failed to pass, that $150 would give them three attempts to pass. Not anymore. It's a cash grab by the state. Also, yes, she knows the area she is failing in but because the exam has been rewritten, there is no practice exams or practice test questions that cover the section she is having a hard time on.
I have no suggestions without really knowing the facts and it sounds like she isn't sure of them either. She may have to call HR. I would suggest HR over the principal, no need to alert her future boss of the situation if it ends up being a non-situation.
I have no suggestions without really knowing the facts and it sounds like she isn't sure of them either. She may have to call HR. I would suggest HR over the principal, no need to alert her future boss of the situation if it ends up being a non-situation.
Thanks for replying. She got confirmation through her HR that she will indeed need that Special Education certificate. They said they will work with her if she does not pass this next attempt. It just stinks that after this third attempt, we will be out $450.
That is correct. A law was signed in and goes into effect in August that no longer requires educators be certified to teach special education. They passed this bill because special education is a very very tough position to fill and there is an extreme teacher shortage. However, regardless of the law, the district she will be working for is still demanding her take and pass this certification exam. She has her other teaching certifications, but somehow they are ignoring this law and stating that it doesn't apply to her because she starts the last week of July and the new law goes into effect August. Also, this freakin exam is $150 a pop. Before they rewrote the exam, any time an applicant failed to pass, that $150 would give them three attempts to pass. Not anymore. It's a cash grab by the state. Also, yes, she knows the area she is failing in but because the exam has been rewritten, there is no practice exams or practice test questions that cover the section she is having a hard time on.
I would think the contract supersedes the law. The state can say what the requirements are, but the employer can stipulate what they require as well.
At one point here in Michigan to be highly qualified some districts required, special education teachers to pass the elementary k-8 all subjects test. Though the state had no such mandate, it was left to each district to decide what they would accept as highly qualified.
$150 and 8 years later no one cares about the highly qualified status in regards to having passed that test or any other...
I would think the contract supersedes the law. The state can say what the requirements are, but the employer can stipulate what they require as well.
At one point here in Michigan to be highly qualified some districts required, special education teachers to pass the elementary k-8 all subjects test. Though the state had no such mandate, it was left to each district to decide what they would accept as highly qualified.
$150 and 8 years later no one cares about the highly qualified status in regards to having passed that test or any other...
She should go to the library and read articles on collaboration in Teaching Exceptional Children, and any articles by Marilyn Friend (the guru on collaboration in special education) and colleagues.
OP, DM me with your email.
I just purchased something that is supposed to help pass that exam in AZ. I, too, was hired as a sped teacher here in AZ and this is the first I've heard of the new law. I have a Master's in counseling degree and will be doing the emergency teacher route. I spoke with HR telling them there was no way I was going to pass high school math and the sped (NES 601) exam in a week and a half! I just got the job Friday! HR said that it is okay and the only thing I am not getting is the stipend for math and sped for the entire year. That is fine by me because I am actually trying to be a school counselor.
In my opinion she should feel safe that she has the job but will not receive the additional stipend for sped until she passed the exam...she can take her time, not stress out and then take it.
OP, can you please post a link to this law? I'm shocked by this, but I can find any information about it. I did find a new alternate route to licensure for grades 6-12, but nothing related to SPED. Thnaks
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