1. In short, what is [are] the best path(s) for a trailing spouse at a T2/T3 IS to become fully QTS in 6-12 ELA and ESOL with a B.S. in an unrelated degree? I'm talking Licensure that is recognized and preferred in both IS and DS to fluidly transfer back and forth between IS and DS schools?"

The DC or Florida teaching licence through either Teach-Now or TeacherReady would be recognized by most international schools. Also check out iTeachDC for a potentially cheaper option. Which specific country are you referring to when you say DS schools?


2. "I realize there is TeachNow/TeacherReady including the TeachNow M.Ed., but I've only read about these for K-6 licensure. Is it the same procedure for MYP/DP content areas - simply take the course and pass the content tests?"

Yes, same procedure (at least it is for DC, not sure about Florida). You just take the relevant content and PLT tests to get licenced in additional areas.

sonoflyte wrote:
> @smoko Oh, so most of the people who have difficulties are people who
> submit applications with UK ID's? Because I heard the rumors going around
> that you get rejected if your school is not in the US, but the rumors I
> heard did not qualify this with "they only ask if you submit an
> application with a UK ID" or something to that effect.
>
> Thanks again for all your input.

From what I saw in the Facebook group I think it was only Brits affected at this time. I can tell you that I was awarded QTS in November 2019 without being asked for any additional info about where my school was based.

sonoflyte wrote:
> @smoko Thanks for the response. The problem with MS for me is that they
> don't have Computer Science as an endorsement, while DC does. Also, NJ
> doesn't have it yet, but they look like they might in a year or two. Why
> did your other drivers license (non UK) matter? I have a US passport and
> drivers license that I was planning on using when applying to QTS, as well
> as ID for the country I am living in.

From what I can tell from the Teach-Now Facebook group and this forum, there seems to be a pattern of UK citizens being asked to provide evidence of where they did their teacher training. My guess is that this whole "mutual recognition" system was put in place to allow foreign trained teachers to teach in the UK, not as a substitute for UK teachers to qualify in the UK, so that's what they're on the look out for. Currently I think you would be fine if you applied with your US passport, but these rules are always subject to change without notice.

sonoflyte wrote:
> @Psyguy Why would the MS credential work for QTS where the DC credential
> would fail?

I'm not Psyguy, but Teach-Now and the DC credential is on the Teaching Regulation Agency's radar. A lot of British people in my Teach-Now Facebook group have been asked for a letter from the school they did their teaching training at to confirm that it was completed in the US. If you didn't do it in the US then you get denied.

Something to bear in mind is that they don't specifically ask for your nationality on the application. Instead, they ask you to submit a passport or drivers licence. By applying with a drivers licence from the country I'm currently teaching in (not the UK) and listing 'DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education' instead of 'Teach-Now Graduate School of Education' I was granted QTS without any questions. However, I think the MS route sounds safer.

I can answer some of these related to the DC licence and QTS, but not the NJ and CA credentials.

1. I wouldn’t call it particularly lax, but I suppose it depends what you’re comparing it to. OSSE say that to renew you must have either 120 hours of PD, 8 college credits, or a combination of both. Half of this must be directly related to the content area of the credential being renewed. The PD providers must issue an official transcript, or if they don't issue transcripts then they must provide a certificate of completion with the following information on it:

• Must be on agency letterhead or bear the official seal/stamp of the training organization
• Name of training organization/provider;
• Title of training/activity for each session;
• Description or syllabus of the training/activity
• Dates of the training;
• Participant/attendee full name;
• Total number of clock hours of training delivered; and
• Bear an official signature or stamp of the official verifying completion of the training / activity and date signed.

Another potential option if you're abroad is to let your credential expire and lapse for 90 days, retake the Praxis subject and PLT exams for about $200, and then apply for it to be reinstated (not renewed). But check that your school is okay with this and that doing so won't give you any visa issues.

In terms of cheap online PD, these are the best prices I could find, but I would very much like to hear from others if they have other suggestions.

• University of the People M.Ed ($200 per 3 credits)
• Study.com College Accelerator ($200 per month/up to 6 credits per month)
• edWeb CE Certificates (Free webinars)


2. Applying for QTS worked for me, but I submitted ID from a country that isn’t the UK. I also wrote “DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education” instead of “Teach-Now” as my institution, and I uploaded my licence instead of the Teach-Now certificate.

5. QTS is not subject or age-range specific, so technically it wouldn’t make a difference to what you can legally teach in England. It is up to each individual school to determine if you are qualified to teach the subject you applied for. Personally, if I decide to change subject, I will probably just add an endorsement to the DC licence. Aside from doing another degree it seems the best option.

I was in a similar situation to you and had no issues getting interviews at lower tier schools in South East Asia. As long as you taper your expectations and don't expect the top jobs (which it sounds like you have) then you have a decent shot.