<p>I just went thru this process with my daughter last year. Different states have different requirements, and now with NCLB, each state is handling certification a little differently than in the past. You are dealing with that "highly qualified" status and that is affecting hiring practices. Don't get me wrong - I think that is a good thing, but it is having an effect. If you decide to go to school in one state and plan to teach in another, make sure you can fulfill all the requirements in the state you wish to be certified easily. My daughter loved UVA, but VA now requires you to get a four year undergrad degree in whatever you want and then spend your 5th year getting a Master's in Ed. My daughter did not want to make a five year commitment. UMass now has a five year program as well. Maryland has a pretty good four year program. Syracuse is well-known for their 4 year inclusion program (Reg Ed and SPED combined). She and I did not care for BU, although BU does a wonderful job of getting you in the classroom for observations right away. University of Delaware is also worth a look. I would also suggest looking at Providence College. They have an excellent program that also combines SPED and Reg. Ed in four years. Her choice - BC. BC's Lynch School of Education is very well respected in the Boston area, plus, it is a four-year program. We also weighed the cost, but took the time to speak to several people responsible for hiring in different districts in our area and every single one recommended BC. Our own district hires many BC grads and they are an impressive group of young people. BC also had a 100% placement rate last year (those that wanted jobs got them) and I know many kids who graduated from our state schools who do not have jobs. We feel it is worth the cost. Obviously, we are Massachusetts residents, so you might feel differently about paying that much money for a teaching degree if you don't plan to stay in the area.</p>
<p>^^^ Nice post. What I liked about BU's ed. school is that you do pretty much get into the classroom right away. A lot of schools coax you into learning other stuff first, which leaves you with less experience than people from other schools. I'm pretty sure graduates place well too, correct me if i'm wrong.</p>
<p>I'm not sure about BU's placement. We did attend several events for students considering the Ed. school and my daughter just did not get a good feel for the school. Personal choice, nothing more. I was impressed with the students I met and the professors at BU. If you plan a visit to BU, take the time to see BC and Providence. PC is only about an hour from Boston and Providence is a great college city, plus it is so close to Boston.</p>
<p>Wisconsin has a great education school. The program is getting some major funding assist from the wife of the COB of Cisco Systems. Both are alums.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.education.wisc.edu/teacherprep/%5B/url%5D">http://www.education.wisc.edu/teacherprep/</a></p>
<p>I'm not sure about BU's placement. We did attend several events for students considering the Ed. school and my daughter just did not get a good feel for the school. Personal choice, nothing more. I was impressed with the students I met and the professors at BU. If you plan a visit to BU, take the time to see BC and Providence. PC is only about an hour from Boston and Providence is a great college city, plus it is so close to Boston.</p>
<p>I already did visit, and I loveddddddddddd it. BC isnt an option as i'm Jewish and need at least a 10% jewish population. Providence seems like a good school but I doubt I could get in. Regardless, I know i'm applying early to BU. :)</p>
<p>fyi - Providence College is also Catholic -established by Friars.</p>
<p>Yeah I thought it might be affiliated. Doesnt matter, i'm not applying there.</p>
<p>In our state, the regional state u's that originally were teacher's colleges are the ones everybody thinks of first for an education major.<br>
Our state is always needing teachers because the suburban areas are growing like crazy (our suburb has the largest high school in the state) and in the rural, lower income part of the state, it is harder to entice teachers to come. So education grads. have no trouble finding a job no matter where they attended college.</p>
<p>How do you find out what needs to be done to be certified in PA? If a student goes to UDel or University of Maryland, would they have a disadvantage getting a job teaching in PA? If a high school senior is a really good student and wants to teach in PA, is it best just to stick to a PA college for a degree? What would the best be?</p>
<p>Each state certifies differently and each state's needs are different, so I would suggest the best place to start is with your own human resource department for your school district. Ask them what schools are high on their list for hiring and why. If you want to live in another state/area, call a local school department there and ask. I would try to avoid calling the state office of education. My prior experiences have been that the answer changes depending on who is on the phone. By calling locally, you also begin making contact with a district where you might be applying a few years down the road. Our state (MA) requires that you pass a test before certification is granted (and the test matches your primary area) and I am assuming the majority of states now do this. This is the type of information a human resource department can answer. You can always look on line, but I prefer actually speaking to someone. Speaking to someone really helped my daughter with her decision on where to attend.</p>
<p>Actually, Northern Arizona University is a very highly ranked school for education majors. Also, it's not too expensive if you were looking to save money as well.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Cost is a non issue for me. Even with tuition at around $45K a year, i'd much rather go to BU for 180K than Penn State for 44K. Who the heck wouldnt want to be in a place like Boston over State College?
[/quote]
Wow. Please never say anything like that again. Seriously, I don't even know what to say.</p>
<p>Franciscan University in Steubenville, OH has an excellent education program.</p>
<p>"I don't think the "experience" of uh, another Middle Atlantic state, is worth the thousands of $ you'd save staying instate."</p>
<p>I am by no means suggesting that one "save" the money. If you aren't spending it on the fancy prestige college, there is an extra $120k to see the world, teach (for free) for five years in Africa, learn more foreign langauges, pay for a masters degree, expand one's education far, far beyond what the differences between the two schools will be. </p>
<p>What I am saying, then, is that - if you choose to actually spend the money - the prestige college is EDUCATIONALLY inferior.</p>
<p>University of South FL. It is the 7th largest college of Education in the nation. They offer a number of degree options, and they participate in the Interstate Agreement on Qualification of Education Personnel. That means upon graduation you will be certified to teach in 38 different states. PA is one of them.</p>
<p>anyone have any info on schools of education in the West? I live in AZ and I'm looking for a good school of education (secondary ed). I hear that my in- state school of Northern Arizona is a good choice but what other options do I have?</p>
<p>PS on the relatively cheap side?</p>
<p>Michigan State University</p>
<p>Vanderbilt
Wisconsin
Illinois State</p>
<p>I've heard Townson University in MD isn't bad for teachers.</p>
<p>Why does this two-year-old thread keep coming back to life with no explanation by the reviving poster?!</p>