I would like to become an elementary school teacher and start working ASAP after college (I’m also willing to get a masteres if necessary). Currently an upcoming high school senior and wondering what college I should go to. I currently live in CA but would like to teach somewhere in the Pacific NW (Oregon, Washington); however I am worried about the OOS tuition if I do undergrad OOS. I’ve heard it’s better to get your bachelor’s in the state you are going to teach in, but is pay for teachers good in OR or WA? Is it hard to transfer licensing and get a job OOS if I get a degree in CA? I’m very confused with this whole process even after reading CC forums!
These are my stats by the way (if they matter in whether to choose an OOS or in state school; I want to try to remain as debt free as possible! Maybe scholarships can help?):
4.0 UW GPA, 7 AP, 1520 SAT, 22 SAT Essay, 770 Math SAT Subject (don’t know if this matters though haha), volunteering, clubs, 2 Varsity Sports, 2 Summers working as a Teacher’s Aide in a summer enrichment program for kids
Thank you in advance; any help is very much appreciated!
Find universities that offer good merit aid in those states as well as WUE universities in Oregon and Washington State (whichever is cheapest, WUE or merit, will depend on the university so look carefully on EACH website.)
Your stats are excellent so you can try looking at UWash Seattle (little merit but thabks to honors college you never know), WWU, UOregon, Oregon State.
Private universities don’t differentiate between in-state and out of state, and often offer excellent scholarships to top applicants. Not all offer education though, so, check. Look into Lewis and Clark, UPugetSound, Seattle U, Whitman.
Beware of merit deadlines - often applying EA is necessary to qualify for scholarships.
Run the NPC on all and if you’ve not been asked ‘stats’ questions look into their specific merit page.
Apply to various California universities too.
I will go further than @bopper and say that I would not pay full freight at a LAC or any other school for a degree in elementary education, either.
I am a proponent of getting an elementary education degree from a public college in the state where you want to teach or in a state school in your state, so long as it has accreditation to allow you teach in whatever state/s you want to consider without having to retake a lot of classes. You might have to take some additional tests or training but your basic degree should transfer. Review the licensing websites of all states you are considering to see what the rules are. My reasoning is that in many states (definitely in NY), the school curricula are designed and implemented by the Regents, who also run the SUNY’s. Therefore, what education students learn and what teachers are supposed to be teaching are, theoretically, the same.
My advice is slightly different if you want to teach, for instance, HS math. For that, you can major in education at a state school and take a subject matter concentration, OR you can study your subject as a major to get more depth in your field. I know people who majored in math, physics, etc. at a LAC or OOS public and now teach. I, personally, don’t think it’s worth it, in terms of money spent for return, but if you get merit money or FA, that’s a different story.
In NY, a masters is required within a certain number of years after you begin teaching, so people can teach at middle or HS level with just an UG degree and then get the masters. In NY, there is testing and certification and I am not sure if you have to take subject matter licensing tests in a subject as you go along. My D did a 5 years combined UG/master’s program in elementary/childhood ed and a masters in special ed. There are also stand alone masters programs.
My D taught for one year and then decided it wasn’t for her. I am very happy she attended a state school and I didn’t take out loans to send her to the private school she first wanted to go to.
Actually @techmom99 if you want to be a HS Math teacher you should major in Math and then do a Master’s in Secondary math Education. That is what my DD did but she did infact go to a State U in the state she teaches in (it was OOS, but the sticker price was comparable to our in-state)
That would not be advisable unless you have a scholarship, or at least a nonresident tuition waiver. With your stats, you could obtain that if you research schools in the state you want to teach in. If not, the best thing to do is to get certified in your home state. Certifications can transfer to other states. Not always, but more often than not.
thank you all for your replies! I really appreciate it! However, what I’m mostly concerned about is that I’ve read that connections are most important in this career, so if I go OOS after getting my bachelors, would it be really hard to find a job?
Also, anyone know any accelerated teaching programs at schools in the pacific northwest and/or CA? I’d like to speed up the process and get my degree and maybe a masters (if it’ll help) ASAP
WUE is a program for students in many Western States to attend Oos public colleges without the great Oos extra charge - instead of 200-250-300% in-state tuition& fees, you pay 150%. Not all Oregon and Washington universities participate.
Basically, your stats will net you tons of merit if you target the right schools and with WUE you can find 2-3 affordable safeties. Yes that’s the best way to create your network to find a job. Your odds of getting hired increase if you have bilingual/ESL/ell certification, special Ed certification, and/or a math/science major.
@MYOS1634 so OOS is the best option if I want to teach OOS? And why would I major in math or science (I don’t have a problem doing so if necessary) if I am to be an elementary school teacher? Is there some kind of perk that comes with that? Thanks!
Slightly different answer from me. My D got her degree at a small OOS Liberal Arts College. She got merit $ so the costs were not all that different than attending in-state. What was different that she got the small LAC experience in addition to her Ed degree. She had no issues in getting a job in an entirely different state.
Sorry it took so long to get back to this thread. I think you are right about majoring in math or science if you want to be a HS or even a middle school teacher because subject mastery is very important, but for being an elementary school teacher, I think the education degrees are just as worthwhile.
My D did a 5 year program in education with an undergraduate degree in birth through second grade and K through 6 with a masters in special ed. The beauty of her program is that it was direct entry and that she was able to take graduate courses for undergraduate tuition rates.
@techmom99 Can you share what school your D attended? We are looking for similar programs for D19. Good to hear about schools where people have had good experiences.