<p>D's current career goal is to be a HS Literature teacher. "I've wanted to teach since I was in second grade"! D will graduate HS 2011. Looks like she'll rank top 5%, at least NMS commended if not Semi, w/ comparable SATs. So hopefully college will be top tier or have a well defined honors program to provide her with challenge. Her first loves are literature and theater, also loves fine arts. What schools might be a good match for a great student who wants to learn to teach? It seems that flagship and state Universities have the largest Education programs, but are there any other schools (private or public LACs?) well known for education? And, for those of you in the know in the teaching professions, corollary question is, is it better these days to have a Master's in Education (MAT or MEd), or will D be competitive in the workplace with a BA? Is it better to look at schools that have the option of getting a 5 year MAT, for instance?</p>
<p>Check out Northwestern and Vanderbilt.</p>
<p>She doesn’t have to study education to be a teacher. An English lit degree from a top college would make her very desirable to many great schools.</p>
<p>Location preferred? Is money an issue?</p>
<p>I agree with hmom that your daughter should consider getting a BA in English instead of education. If she stays with her plans and does choose a career in teaching she will eventually need to get certified to teach and/or to go after a secondary degree in education; however, for her undergrad she should also look at colleges from the standpoint of good academics + good cultural fit.</p>
<p>Most (I would venture to say “all”) top colleges – either universities or LACs – have strong English departments. If she’s also looking for theater and fine arts, I’d suggest the following in the LAC category: Williams, Hamilton, Kenyon, Wesleyan, Smith, Skidmore, Conn College.</p>
<p>My friend’s daughter graduated from Wellesley with a degree in history, and the coursework for teacher’s certification. She is now teaching in California, so I don’t know which states she is currently certified to teach in. Bryn Mawr also offers a teacher training course sequence that can be combined with almost any major, so I think it is pretty common at the top colleges/universities. As your daughter makes up her college list, she should search each website for “teacher certification” and see where that program is hidden if there isn’t a full department of Education.</p>
<p>I also agree with what hmom5 said. On the other hand, you can easily double-major in education and english (or whatever in liberal arts) at Northwestern and graduate in 4 years.</p>
<p>I have several friends who are teachers, all of whom agree that applicants are much more attractive with masters degrees than BAs. Secondary ed is tough around here - most of the jobs in that field are for special ed, math/science, and language teachers. But great teachers are always needed, so I wouldn’t find that news too discouraging. If your d can communicate her love of literature, she’ll stand out as an applicant.</p>
<p>Vanderbilt’s school of education (the Peabody School of Human Development) is consistently ranked among the top programs in the country. It’s an expensive school, though, and the Vandy experience is not for everyone. Vandy is very generous with merit aid; if your d qualifies as a NM Finalist, she’d receive at least a 5K annual scholarship there, and possibly more. Its English department is considered strong; don’t know about the fine arts/theater departments. Your d’s interests do seem to line up with what a strong LAC offers.</p>
<p>One way in to a career in teaching is Teach for America. A highly selective program, and very challenging; one of its benefits is the opportunity to earn a masters in education at greatly reduced cost during the 2-year period of service.</p>
<p>Although school systems require teachers to get master’s degrees around here, they seem to strongly prefer to hire new teachers with BAs in the subject–not in education–straight out of college.</p>
<p>To put it simply, they are cheaper.</p>
<p>I agree that a degree in the subject desired from the best school that is feasible, plus sufficient education courses and teacher training to get certified, is the way to go. Something else to consider, though, is that middle schools and some others tend to teach in multi-discipline teams, so that it can make you more employable to have sufficient coursework in a complimentary field. In the case of an English teacher, probably history, although I’ve known one teacher who taught middle school English and math.</p>
<p>The other thing is to avoid major debt. Around here, teachers start at about $30K, and it goes up very slowly.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the replies … anyone else? Ms. L</p>
<p>My view of on this-the key consideration is a school where the cost is not prohibitive relative to the earnings stream of the career. Even if you obtain a Doctor of Education degree and move into administration, your top career earnings will probably not exceed about 100-120K or so. In view of this,it is important to make sure that the “front end Load” cost of your BA be limited to under $100K or you are going to be a debt slave all your working life. The top private colleges are priced beyond your reach, unless they give you financial aid that leaves you debt free.
The best schools for your aspirations are the top State Universities like Virginia, UCLA and Michigan, where you can get a top flight liberal arts and sciences education that can easlity be topped off with an MA in teaching from any accredited place that will give you certification. The lower tuition will make the M.A. possible too.</p>