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My family is planning a move to Tampa in the next year and I'm interested in the certification program for those with college degrees that aren't in education. I'm currently reading reading in a title one school and would like to become a certified teacher. This isn't offered in my state and I'd have to get a third bachelor's degree and then go through a longer, more expensive program to be certified.
Florida offers a great opportunity for those with the education to realize a dream.
Has anyone participated in this? Is there anything I should know about the program? I'll be down for a week in August and I'm hoping to talk to someone at the district office about the process.
I understand the school district is huge and has lots of issues but most do. My school is currently at 70% poverty level so that's not an issue. I've read that some teachers are not fond of those that come in with temporary certificates. Any info would be great, please don't harass me about how horrible teaching is etc.
This program has been in place in various forms since the early 2000s, when the District was growing by leaps and bounds and couldn't find enough qualified teachers to fill positions.
As far as I know, at this point the program is only being offered for those wanting to go into Special Ed, nothing else. I haven't looked at the web site recently, so that could very well have changed.
As someone who has a degree in Special Ed (Florida likes to call in "varying exceptionalities") who taught in both Hillsborough and Pasco counties, I can tell you that you need a serious mental health examination yourself if you attempt this.
I'm not saying you can't do it, just that the odds are stacked so heavily against your success it's frightening.
The program originally started by the District in the early 2000s was a total bust. After it had been in place for about 7-8 years, an internal study was done to determine the effectiveness. Essentially, over 90% of the participants had left education within five years. The initial attrition rate was the highest after the second year. In a nutshell, nearly all of the participants had left education by the fifth year.
This isn't unique - the teaching profession has a well established burnout rate at three years for those educated to become teachers - so this shouldn't have come as a surprise for those who weren't trained professionals.
The biggest problem people in the program had was with classroom management. This can't be taught, you have to learn how to apply it on the job. Certainly there are many good theories and approaches, many that work, but they don't occur magically and require a lot of effort and tweaking to find the best for for the teacher and students. Any teacher worth their salt will tell you that no matter how good your teaching or knowledge is, if you can manage the classroom, you're doomed to fail.
I saw retired military professionals reduced to quivering piles of jelly by students within a day. Former business professionals who believed in the adage, "Those who can, do it, those who can't teach" or something to that effect got run out of the classroom in short order.
And this is with mainstream students.
Teaching special ed requires a broad understanding of exceptionalities and the training to know how to modify and manage lessons for students with wide ranging learning deficiencies or challenges. Anyone who thinks they can teach in a special ed classroom with the minimal amount of training the District is offering needs their head examined. For that matter, I really question the District's approach to the situation as well.
Also understand that you cannot be granted tenure in Florida any more. Anyone hired to teach at this point is on an annual contract. There is no job security in the profession around here, you are effectively an at-will employee. I'm not passing judgement, simply pointing out the reality of the situation.
Long story short, be my guest and give it a shot if you want. Don't be disappointed if you're not successful, as there are many who has gone down the road before you and failed. I wish you luck.
RM gave you some excellent advice. I have not known anyone to be successful at the teaching profession who came from the certification program. In fact, my teaching partner recently quit because she was inadequately prepared to handle the rigors of the classroom. She finished the certification program two years ago, but they did not give her enough training to handle all the expectations that come with teaching. You will not receive the kind of experience and training you need to manage a typical classroom in a certification program, let alone a room containing students with special needs.
If you want to be a teacher, my advice is go back to college and get a real degree by majoring in the actual education field. Just make sure you go through an actual reputable college ... not some online degree program. That's your best chance for survival. It may take longer, but at least you'll enter the classroom well-prepared.
This program has been in place in various forms since the early 2000s, when the District was growing by leaps and bounds and couldn't find enough qualified teachers to fill positions.
As far as I know, at this point the program is only being offered for those wanting to go into Special Ed, nothing else. I haven't looked at the web site recently, so that could very well have changed.
As someone who has a degree in Special Ed (Florida likes to call in "varying exceptionalities") who taught in both Hillsborough and Pasco counties, I can tell you that you need a serious mental health examination yourself if you attempt this.
I'm not saying you can't do it, just that the odds are stacked so heavily against your success it's frightening.
The program originally started by the District in the early 2000s was a total bust. After it had been in place for about 7-8 years, an internal study was done to determine the effectiveness. Essentially, over 90% of the participants had left education within five years. The initial attrition rate was the highest after the second year. In a nutshell, nearly all of the participants had left education by the fifth year.
This isn't unique - the teaching profession has a well established burnout rate at three years for those educated to become teachers - so this shouldn't have come as a surprise for those who weren't trained professionals.
The biggest problem people in the program had was with classroom management. This can't be taught, you have to learn how to apply it on the job. Certainly there are many good theories and approaches, many that work, but they don't occur magically and require a lot of effort and tweaking to find the best for for the teacher and students. Any teacher worth their salt will tell you that no matter how good your teaching or knowledge is, if you can manage the classroom, you're doomed to fail.
I saw retired military professionals reduced to quivering piles of jelly by students within a day. Former business professionals who believed in the adage, "Those who can, do it, those who can't teach" or something to that effect got run out of the classroom in short order.
And this is with mainstream students.
Teaching special ed requires a broad understanding of exceptionalities and the training to know how to modify and manage lessons for students with wide ranging learning deficiencies or challenges. Anyone who thinks they can teach in a special ed classroom with the minimal amount of training the District is offering needs their head examined. For that matter, I really question the District's approach to the situation as well.
Also understand that you cannot be granted tenure in Florida any more. Anyone hired to teach at this point is on an annual contract. There is no job security in the profession around here, you are effectively an at-will employee. I'm not passing judgement, simply pointing out the reality of the situation.
Long story short, be my guest and give it a shot if you want. Don't be disappointed if you're not successful, as there are many who has gone down the road before you and failed. I wish you luck.
RM
As a former employee of Hillsborough I concur. Now, I just work in training and development in HR. Its way better!
As a former employee of Hillsborough I concur. Now, I just work in training and development in HR. Its way better!
A wise decision on your part.
I got out a while ago, and I'm glad I did. It was a totally insane environment, especially when they started all the accountability crap. I spent more time filling out paperwork and collecting data than I ever spent teaching.
Thank you for your replies everyone. I work as a Title One tutor right now so I have a bit of experience in handling the classes as a whole. Unfortunately my school has several grades of difficult children and I know how exhausting it can be for the teachers. Even I was questioning my career choice when I first started. I know there's a lot more that goes into the the job of a teacher than what I'm doing. My mom taught for 30 years in the 2nd and 3rd grades and she's not very excited about me wanting to teach. I have a degree in business and one in accounting and qualify to test for social studies and business 6-12 grades.
I'm taking your comments to heart and I'll have to look into the program some more. Going back for a third degree just isn't an option. My plan is to get a position with the school district as a Title One or paraprofessional and see how I like it doing that. Hopefully it will give me enough inside info to make an informed decision. There's a class at my school with a brand-new teacher. It's a difficult class and there's zero classroom management. It's making it hard for any of the kids to learn and I doubt she'll make the three year mark.
I was an accountant before this and I'm not sure what would be worse. I went gray during my career with the 60 hour work weeks, deadlines, horrible co-workers and bosses. I left after 14 years, two divorces and vowed to never go back. My worst day at school is still better than my best day in accounting.
Thank you for your replies everyone. I work as a Title One tutor right now so I have a bit of experience in handling the classes as a whole. Unfortunately my school has several grades of difficult children and I know how exhausting it can be for the teachers. Even I was questioning my career choice when I first started. I know there's a lot more that goes into the the job of a teacher than what I'm doing. My mom taught for 30 years in the 2nd and 3rd grades and she's not very excited about me wanting to teach. I have a degree in business and one in accounting and qualify to test for social studies and business 6-12 grades.
I'm taking your comments to heart and I'll have to look into the program some more. Going back for a third degree just isn't an option. My plan is to get a position with the school district as a Title One or paraprofessional and see how I like it doing that. Hopefully it will give me enough inside info to make an informed decision. There's a class at my school with a brand-new teacher. It's a difficult class and there's zero classroom management. It's making it hard for any of the kids to learn and I doubt she'll make the three year mark.
I was an accountant before this and I'm not sure what would be worse. I went gray during my career with the 60 hour work weeks, deadlines, horrible co-workers and bosses. I left after 14 years, two divorces and vowed to never go back. My worst day at school is still better than my best day in accounting.
Understand that as a paraprofessional you will be paid roughly $8.00/hour to start and the cost of benefits (if you elect to take them) will be more than your salary. You get no paid vacation or holidays. For that matter, if you're doing ESE (special ed) para, you have to have an associate's degree or equivalent of college level courses. You're also on the bottom of the totem pole when you come in. Para positions are based on enrollment in most cases, so if the school's enrollment changes your position can be moved or eliminated. If this happens you go to the pool and have to apply for another open position that will probably not be at your school and may not be in the (functional) area you were previously in. This can also happen after the 20 day count, when the FTE numbers are set for the state and determine the units at each school.
Again, I'm not trying to discourage you, but you should be very much aware that paras are pretty much treated as chattel and get viewed as such. There are some wonderful people out there who are paras, but they serve at the whim of the District and can have the rug yanked out from under them without warning.
I am confused, are you saying, you want to be a grade school teacher? I believe you can go to USF and take a program to become a certified teacher, you have to have at least an associates degree and pass a general knowledge test.
If you already are a professional educator, the above info does not apply to you. All you will need to do is pass a Subject Area Exam. Click on the link below it will take you to the school district website.
I just have to add my two cents. I am a teacher of children with severe behavior needs in the Hillsborough School District. Coming from Indiana, my husband and I were happily stunned at the amount of training offered to educate teachers. Training is offered after school and on Saturdays. I feel completely supported by administrative and have questions, concerns or needs answered in a timely manner. The paras in my school are recognized as an integral part of the team. The paperwork is needed to provide data for providing appropriate education for students with special needs and one of my first trainings taught me how to effectively and quickly collect the info needed. To the OP, I would recommend that you contact HR now to begin to ask questions as to the process needed to become a teacher in Tampa. On the District website, there is a page on Employment. Best Wishes....I am in the middle of my 42nd year in teaching students with special needs and I am as excited as I was in the first year of my career.....and, of course, I LOVE TAMPA!!!
I just have to add my two cents. I am a teacher of children with severe behavior needs in the Hillsborough School District. Coming from Indiana, my husband and I were happily stunned at the amount of training offered to educate teachers. Training is offered after school and on Saturdays. I feel completely supported by administrative and have questions, concerns or needs answered in a timely manner. The paras in my school are recognized as an integral part of the team. The paperwork is needed to provide data for providing appropriate education for students with special needs and one of my first trainings taught me how to effectively and quickly collect the info needed. To the OP, I would recommend that you contact HR now to begin to ask questions as to the process needed to become a teacher in Tampa. On the District website, there is a page on Employment. Best Wishes....I am in the middle of my 42nd year in teaching students with special needs and I am as excited as I was in the first year of my career.....and, of course, I LOVE TAMPA!!!
Thank you! I really appreciate a positive reply. I am aware of how little Paras are paid as I am one right now. As for being treated poorly, like many jobs it all depends on where you work. Right now I'm lucky to have a position where I'm respected and treated wonderfully. My mother was a 30+ year teacher and even warned me that paras are sometimes treated as "the help" but I went in with a positive attitude and have really enjoyed it. I have two bachelor degrees and will be prequalified for social studies and business for grades 6-12 but I'm open to anything I'm offered. I'm in a position where I can afford to work for low wages until I'm able to move up.
We are visiting in August to get all of our details sorted and I'm really excited! My good friend lives there, loves her son's school and loves Tampa as well! While I can understand people offering cautious advice I can assure you that I've researched and thought this through and will advance carefully. If I really hate it I can always go back to accounting lol. Of course I hated accounting for 15 years and have loved my job this last year.
Thank you again for your point of view and I look forward to making my move!
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