Alternative Certification

Recruitment & Retention Teaching Assignment Linked to TFA Retention
Teach For America teachers who are assigned to teach more than one grade, subject, or out-of-field are more likely to leave their schools—or the profession altogether, a new analysis concludes.
Stephen Sawchuk, July 27, 2010
2 min read
Teacher Preparation TFA Plans Detroit Return Over Union's Objection
The popular Teach For America program is returning to Motor City, where 100 new graduates will apply for positions in the school's beleaguered public schools. This is a big deal for the organization, which hasn't had any placements there since 2003. Robert Bobb, the emergency financial manager for Detroit Public Schools, has been a supporter of the move.
Stephen Sawchuk, May 6, 2010
1 min read
Teacher Preparation Panel Finds No Favorite in Teacher-Prep Pathways
A national commission says teachers from alternative programs appear no worse—or better—than those from traditional college programs.
Debra Viadero, April 29, 2010
5 min read
Teacher Preparation Opinion Teaching for America
Former Teach For America corps member Kerry Kretchmar writes that, rather than judging teachers based on their form of training, committed educators should work together for change.
Kerry Kretchmar, December 18, 2009
6 min read
Teacher Preparation Bill Would Amend, Expand Troops to Teachers
Federal legislation would expand a program that encourages ex-military officials to shift into the classroom.
Stephen Sawchuk, November 16, 2009
1 min read
Teacher Preparation Opinion The Impact of Alternate Routes to Teaching
Alternative paths to certification have not only proliferated, but have also influenced the way we think about the preparation of teachers, writes C. Emily Feistritzer.
C. Emily Feistritzer, November 13, 2009
6 min read
School & District Management Los Angeles TFA Teachers Outperform Peers
A study financed by the Eli & Edythe Broad Foundation shows that students taught by Teach For America teachers in Los Angeles outperformed peers who were taught by other teachers—including veterans with many more years of experience.
Stephen Sawchuk, October 28, 2009
2 min read
School & District Management Study Examines Fla. ABCTE Candidates' Impact on Achievement
A study on a small group of teachers who earned ABCTE certification in Florida found that students taught by these teachers held their own in English language-arts, but were weaker in math.
Stephen Sawchuk, September 18, 2009
2 min read
Teacher Preparation Growth Model
Long criticized for the short duration of its training, Teach for America invests heavily in the professional growth of its teachers.
Stephen Sawchuk, September 11, 2009
10 min read
Teacher Preparation STEM Talent Increases, Jobs Decrease
The recession is driving more math and science professionals into teaching at a time when school districts have fewer jobs to fill.
Stephen Sawchuk, August 19, 2009
6 min read
Teacher Preparation 100,000 New Teachers for California?
California's budget is busted and school districts have had to let teachers go, but that's not keeping a new organization from pledging to deliver a bevy of new teacher talent to the state's public schools over the next 11 years.
Lesli A. Maxwell, August 19, 2009
1 min read
Teacher Preparation Chicago Hosts Not-So-"Secret" Job Fair
When an angry teacher confronted Chicago schools CEO Ron Huberman about a "secret" job fair the district was having today, he laughed it off and said every job fair was public.
Dakarai I. Aarons, July 31, 2009
1 min read
Teacher Preparation ABCTE Goes It Alone
The alternative-certification program makes plans to sustain itself as its federal funding sunsets.
Stephen Sawchuk, July 28, 2009
1 min read
Teacher Preparation "Highly Qualified" Appeals Lawsuit Tossed
Perhaps no one but Teach For America will care about this, but a district court last week threw out an appeal in the Renee v. Spellings lawsuit over the "highly qualified" teacher provisions in the No Child Left Behind Law.
Stephen Sawchuk, July 27, 2009
1 min read