Colorado's Alternative Teacher Licensure Program (Denver, Colorado Springs: transfer, school districts, university)

[ColoradoGirl1]

I'm looking for some opinions/advice on the ALP program in the state for those that are familiar.

I hold a BA from CU (graduated in '09) but no teacher's license. I'm currently working as a paraprofressional for a school district in ND, so I'm working with students.
I figure instead of wasting my BA and working as a para (which doesn't require a BA), I may as well be working as a teacher!

I've been researching the different ALP and TIR (Teacher in Residence programs) and wondering if they're a good idea?

I only ask because I'm getting ready to send off all of my forms and the whole thing (testing, license, grad school app, etc) costs so much $ I don't have.
If my chances of getting hired on by a school district are slim I don't want to spend all that money this summer.

I'd only consider living in the Denver Metro area or Colorado Springs. I'm happy and would probably prefer working for Title 1 schools.
My content/endorsement area is secondary Social Studies. What are the prospects for ALP jobs in the field?

Also, do ALP teachers recieve benefits? I know they get salary but I would really need benefits as well.

One more thing- I have an excellent undergrad GPA and am loathe to do the program through Metro State (no offense ). I just feel like it's a 'step back' from CU and I'd prefer to do it through CU Denver or DU but they only offer TIR. So, is the Metro State program good? Also, I want a Master's but they don't offer it. It leads me to think I'd be better of with UCCS' program? (Again, I didn't really want to go to UCCS but maybe I shouldn't be such a snob).

Thanks for your help!

[ShellKing]

I don't know any of the specifics to your question, but if you follow K12 education in CO, you'd see the 6.35% reduction from the state to school districts. Most school districts are not hiring teachers for this fall. The exception is very specialized areas -- special ed, for example, seems to always be hiring.

I find ednewscolorado.org to be a good source of information. Here's a quick cut-and-paste from them: School districts in Colorado are shedding hundreds of jobs, pulling millions of dollars from reserves and piling on student fees as they face the biggest budget cuts in memory. In Douglas County, 380 jobs are slated for elimination for the 2010-11 school year. In the Adams 12 Five Star school district, that figure is 188. In Cherry Creek, it’s 155. In Jefferson County, it’s 137. In Littleton, it’s 98.

That's a lot of teachers looking for jobs. Hopefully when districts know their student counts in the fall, they may be able to hire back teachers. The state funding for 2010-2011 is based on per pupil counts that are conducted in October.

[Wakyco]

It's been a few years since I was in Colorado but if what you are talking about is like the "grow your own" program, it's an interview process with priority being placed on parapros that are already hired on by the school district in which they are applying for.

[ColoradoGirl1]

Thanks for the info. Shellking, are you a teacher? Those are dire statistics. I can't even imagine how all of these schools keep their alternative teacher licensing programs running with such a surplus of qualified teachers around?

[delta07]

I went through the post-baccalaureate teacher licensure program at Mesa State in Grand Junction. The program was a year long, and while it's an alternative way to get your teaching license, it isn't exactly the alternative program the state has. I had to do an unpaid, one year internship at a school (they serve all of western Colorado, but not Denver or Colorado Springs). It was an excellent program and I was hired the following year at the school I did my internship through.

While Mesa State isn't a university caliper college, the program is well respected and relatively small. I really enjoyed that aspect of the program. I have since moved from Colorado and found all of my credentials transferred without much hangup.

[ColoradoGirl1]

Thanks Delta, I'm happy to hear that. I've decided to with the UCCS program, and if I don't get hired on by August, I automatically matriculate into a regular post-bacc TEP, which is also a year long. It means I have to student teach unpaid, but it's at least a step forward.

I figure it's worth a shot since it's what I want to do.

Now I have to worry about passing the Praxis having been out of college a year already! :P

[delta07]

Originally Posted by ColoradoGirl1

Thanks Delta, I'm happy to hear that. I've decided to with the UCCS program, and if I don't get hired on by August, I automatically matriculate into a regular post-bacc TEP, which is also a year long. It means I have to student teach unpaid, but it's at least a step forward.

I figure it's worth a shot since it's what I want to do.

Now I have to worry about passing the Praxis having been out of college a year already! :P

You'll do fine on the Praxis. I took it after not being in school for 7 years! Just get yourself a study guide and go through it. Good luck!

[wyolady]

Not sure if Colorado is part of it, but the Northern Plains to Teaching is an option.

Northern Plains Transition to Teaching