European non-EU citizen making a career transfer into PYP

[Vrstefko]

Greetings, ISR community,

My bio: 33 years old from a non-EU country in Europe, hold a BA in Economics, an MA in Economics, and another MA in Political Science. For the last 3 years, I’ve been doing the unforgivable - teaching at a training center in China. Spare me your usual harsh judgement, it was a solution to a set of problems I was facing at the time, and it has also lead me down a path I never imagined I’d take (although both of my parents were high school teachers at some point, I never thought of it as the right choice for me). Well, I was wrong. Here I am, for the first time in my life I have focus, and know what kind of a career I want to build. So, no ragrets [sic!].

I’ve had the good fortune of subbing at a top IS here in China, and it’s what has opened the door to me to another world, and a kind of community which I very much feel a part of. Both my wife and I have an international orientation, having studied abroad, being from different cultures, and being immersed in a circle of friends from all corners of the world. My wife is on the way to launch an expat career, and me becoming a licensed teacher capable of working at international schools will fit in perfectly with our chosen lifestyle/careers, and help us achieve our goals. Bottom line is that I am 100% sure this is the path to take.

I have no illusions that teaching at a training center has prepared me for being a PYP teacher. So, it’s back to school for me, and then starting from 0 again. Not a problem, my focus is clear.

Right now, we are gathering information, and choosing the right path to getting the licence. From what we’ve learned so far, not being a US citizen poses some challenges in getting licensed.

We’ve read in PsyGuy’s posts that there are workarounds, by getting the education and initial credential in the States, then applying for QTS in the UK, and then getting that accepted in NJ, in order to obtain a lifetime licence there.

In short, this is the plan:

1. Start an online or hybrid master program which allows me to work and study simultaneously while physically in Beijing for most of the duration of the program. George Mason University’s Advanced Studies in Teaching & Learning, which also provides an IB certificate seems to be the best option. Even though the program looks a good fit, the State of Virginia does not issue teacher certificate to foreigners. So I’ll need to seek another state for certification.
2. With an M.Ed, look for a position in a "3rd tier" IS and then get certified through Teach-Now (working at an IS should solve the issue of 3-month classroom teaching experience required by Teach-Now).
3. Transfer the D.C. teaching license to a QTS in UK.
4. Accumulate more teaching experience and look for better opportunities at better IS.


Before we make any costly commitments, I wanted to ask a few questions, in areas where we could use some help and advice about our plan.

1. Is it redundant to do both M.Ed and Teach-Now, or is that the right way to do it in my case? What would be a more suitable approach?
2. I can’t imagine it would be impossible to get a US teaching licence if you’re a non-US citizen. However, we’ve read that some states require a SSN. Can someone with specific knowledge about this part of the licensing procedure comment? Like, which states don’t have this requirement?
3. Is it possible to stud in one state, and then get licensed in another? For instance, do the GMU M.Ed, and then obtain the licence in NJ?
4. Do universities generally offer help in finding field experience opportunities for M.Ed students working towards a licence?
5. Would you recommend finding work at a “third-tier” international school now, and enrolling at a master’s program after? (This may resolve the issue of needing to find a school to get the required field experience)
6. How employable am I at the moment, in the eyes of the IS?

[sid]

In my experience, only US citizens are eligible for a US teaching certificate. If I'm wrong, I'm sure someone will be around to give more info. There are programs you can take which are kinda-sorta the equivalent, but.... You do all the same coursework as someone preparing for a license, but you don't do the student-teacher placement, and at the end of the course the university gives you a letter stating that you took all the courses and would normally proceed to the license, but since you aren't eligible, it stops with the letter.
Again, if I'm wrong, we'll hear about it.
Speaking for the schools I've worked at though, that letter from the uni would not be useful. Two main reasons; at some schools
both apply, whereas at other schools it's just one or the other.
1) Some schools require you to have a valid teaching license/credential. From wherever. You must be qualified. This echoes the standards from the major accreditation bodies. But qualified means different things from different places. From a lot of countries, it's as simple as a BA in education. In some places, it's as low as a diploma in education. No license - quite a number of countries don't have those at all. You get your BA, you're good to go. If you're from those countries. The context of each applicant can really make a difference. If you're American, we expect a US license. If you're Russian, a BA is fine. But if you're American, a BA might not be fine, because some schools expect you to be qualified from your home country, and a BA doesn't do it in the US. In your situation, getting a US letter would be rather a lot of work that you might not need, and might not even benefit from, depending on where you are from. To a school that requires you to be fully qualified, a non-finished US qualification won't get the job done. It's less than the full US qualification (no student teaching, no actual license) and different than the qualification from your home country. So it's vague and unhelpful to these schools.
2) Some countries require certain qualifications to obtain your visa. In these cases, a letter from a university, without a relevant degree or license, won't qualify you for a visa. So again, no help.
I've known several people start programs like you mention, and drop out along the way as they realized it wouldn't actually help them. The people I've know who it did help... basically those who wanted to work in a very specific context, like in an international school in their home country, probably where they already had a relationship as a TA or a sub. They had the right to live in the country already, they were a known entity at the school already, so they could do the "most of a license" program and be fine. Hard to build a serial expat career that way though.

It might be easier to get a credential (BA?) from your own country. If your home country considers you qualified, most schools and countries do too. Is that a possibility for you?

[Heliotrope]

Even students without US citizenship can complete the Teach Now program and obtain a Washington DC teaching license. That license will qualify you to teach at an international school.

[PsyGuy]

There are several states including DC that issue credentials to non US citizens. Where @Sid is accurate is in terms of the 'completion letter', its not worth anything.

Your path ahead of you would be different if you wanted to be an IT in business studies or economics, but you said PYP which is primary/elementary and thats going to be more difficult.

You cant use NJ as an option really. NJ has a non-Standard credential for non US citizens, but its a 5 year credential and cant be renewed without showing significant efforts to become a US Citizen most notably working in NJ. Missouri which issues a 99 year license isnt an option for you either. Whats left is CA at the professional grade which while the gold standard in US curriculum offers a 5 year CLEAR credential but you do not need to do PD to renew or MA getting the provisional credential (entry grade) which will effectively be a lifetime credential. I dont think you would need a long term US credential though, you just need one in primary that will get you QTS and then make sure one of your teaching areas is primary/elementary.

I wouldnt recommend George Mason University (GMU), I think that pathway is incredibly expensive and long. Its USD$21K just in tuition and its going to take you two years. The pathway then would be to take the letter which outside of the following scenario isnt worth anything, and apply for the HI Provisional credential (Entry level) than after 3 years of teaching in an acceptable accredited IS you can apply for the standard credential (professional grade) and then using that get QTS. Thats 5 years though just to get QTS and at USD$21k in tuition costs alone.
You could get an M.Ed if you wanted from UPe for USD$2600 and get the same IB training PD, and you could do Teach Now out of DC for USD$6K and get a professional grade DC credential in a year.
If you really want to do 'all the work' and spend all the coin, you would be better off doing an M.Ed online/distance and going through CAN (like BC).

In reply to your inquiries:

1) Its not redundant, but it is for you. An M.Ed would get you on the advance degree band of an ISs salary scale, but you already have a Masters degree. What an M.Ed in something like primary education would do is serve as a working qualification for you in a lot of lower ISs, your not a westerner (USA/UK/CAN/AUS) where the professional educator credentials are well known, being from your region of origin a M.Ed will very likely be accepted. However an M.Ed is a qualification its not a professional credential (within the western edu context).

2) You can get a US SSN for non-work purposes if its required for application or tracking of a state. You would need a letter from the state regulating authority to qualify. The problem is that most CSRs at various state offices hear what your saying and they are thinking your trying to get a state credential in place of a US work visa, and they dont want anything to do with that. This is separate from a states requirement of issuing a credential to non US citizens. Even in many states where they use a different number you often need a SSN to apply for the state specific tracking number or you need it to complete a CRB as part of the application process.

3) Its possible just not very practical, I described the process with HI as above, but in general letters of completion arent worth much. If you were a US citizen for example you could use the letter of completion in NJ to obtain a CEAS (which is also a lifetime credential) but you would never be able to transition it within IE to the standard credential. A letter of completion at best will get you some type of entry grade credential with a short validity period, has long transition requirements or in non-renewable and cant be used for QTS.

4) If the Uni M.Ed program leads towards a credential as a required part of the program, the Uni often has a field placement office or officer who arranges field work placements for student teaching.

5) YES, I would absolutely recommend you work a couple more years in IE. First, You claim your at a top IS in China and if thats true, that experience can be VERY VERY different and likely will be from that of a third tier IS. Second, subbing/supply teaching is VERY VERY different from being the TOR with a classroom of your own. You should do that for a couple years before you make these investments. I would suggest you speak to the executive leadership at this IS you have subbed at inquire if they would be willing to support you in some form. Ideally, an appointment and then from there looking at a training program such as Teach Now, and then after a couple of years and your credentialed then look at another Masters program (M.Ed) if that becomes something valuable to you later.

6) Not very much but your subbing at a top tier IS, you have multiple degrees in economics which within social studies is the most in demand field. Its reasonable that there are going to be third tier ISs (especially in China) that absent a credential or M.Ed that will appoint you. However absent a credential or an M.Ed thats going to be a barrier to future recruitment once you move into higher tiers (or you have an 'in').

I disagree with @Sids position regarding visa requirements, you have a bachelors and to masters one of them in economics, getting you a visa under some type of category isnt going to be an issue. Whether an IS wants to do that bringing you in as a consultant or LT and assigning you classes is an entirely different matter, but its not much of a immigration issue.

[Thames Pirate]

Lots of non-citizens teach in the US (though often they are long-term residents when they go through their certification and thus often have a SSN). My state requires foreign degrees undergo a transcript evaluation, but it does not specify much beyond that.

[Vrstefko]

Thanks for your replies. It really means a lot to have someone to ask for advice. I'll get some input from my local IS contacts as well.

It seems like a new plan is taking shape:

1. Get certificate(s) that demonstrate commitment to professional development, and increase the chances of getting any kind of permanent work in IS. (Does anyone have any recommendations in the certification area? Praxis, IB...?)
2. Apply for work at whatever IS would take me. I'm guessing the beginning of next year would be the best time for that. (Best case scenario would be for my IS to hire me since I'm already a "known" to them, and I've also shown that I'm working on my professional growth)
3. Between then and the beginning of school year 20/21, I would start Teach-Now. Ideally, I would start the programme in March 2020, which gives me just enough time to finish the theoretical part before September, and then I would, with some luck, be able to do the field work at my potential future IS employer (Would this actually work? I have no idea how one would go about finding a school to do field work at. How much time do I have to do the field work after completing the TeachNow curriculum?) My training school contract ends in May 2020, so I would have ample free time over the summer to focus on learning.

This is a bit lopsided from what PsyGuy said (first appointment, then TeachNow), but feels more realistic to me. Is my reasoning wrong?

I hear what you say about getting more experience before spending the money (and experience for the sake of experience), PsyGuy, but I don't think this timeline is rushed either. Other things in life are forcing my hand in a way, too. Not the least being the pretty decent salary I'm getting right now which I'd like to keep for as long as possible before quitting to focus on professionalisation.

As for my preference for PYP, that's because so far I've only ever taught that age group. I'll try to get some experience in MS and HS, just to see how that suits me, but I don't think I'll abandon PYP.


One more thing, that my wife and I (both of whom have limited insights about this), have debated over: I will broach this with them, but I'm just wondering how likely does it seem for my unicorn IS to support me at this point and give me a chance to gain real teaching experience there? For the purposes of this thought experiment, let's assume I'm no better than average in terms of teaching skills and personality (not that they would know anything about my qualities as a teacher, as I was thrust into the classroom with no supervision; there have been occasional learning support assistants, though, but overall it doesn't seem like they are paying much attention to me - I'm only subbing roughly once a month). My assessment is that the school has the privilege to choose from a number of qualified, experienced teachers, so why support me with potential pay-off for them years from now?

[PsyGuy]

@Thames Pirate

yes, because teaching = working, if your working whether a citizen, a resident, or an immigrant you have an SSN and every state (none come to mind that dont) have some form of permit, etc. that will allow anyone to work in the LEA thats employing them.

@Vrstefko

I dont know what certificates you would get that would really add any utility to a un-credentialed IT in primary with an economics background. Maybe an IB certificate, maybe an AP certificate, the next group are typically coaching or tech certificates (MS, Apple, Google). There are a couple certificates such as ACSI that might have some utility. Other than that its either Uni coursework or professional credentialing thats worth the coin for IE. If your looking at ESOL it changes things but thats not your focus.

If your looking at 19/20 you want to start looking now, China tends to be one of the hardship regions that is always recruiting, but the pool shrinks throughout the year. Id pitch yourself as a business and economics IT vs. a primary IT, as it will simply fill out your resume more, you have an academic background you have some instructional experience someone desperate might make the leap that you can stretch what youve done to deliver what you know.

March 2020 is way to late, you want to maximize your marketability and that means recruiting during peak cycle which is JAN/FEB and you want to be able to show that you have done as much of the program as possible, starting ASAP is just to your advantage, so that you can truthfully claim during peak recruitment you have all but your field experience done (including any assessment).

You dont do field work after the curriculum its essentially the last module in the program. The programs available really difer in terms of field experience, at one end you have PGCEi which in some programs have no field experience at all, they are all academic, then you have teach Ready which has 5 days, thats a much easier sll to an IS because your dont need an appointment to do it, and doesnt so much cost the IS anything, while they get a week long relief/sub IT. Teach Now is 12 weeks/3 months your going to need an appointment for that. If you already have an appointment it makes the process so so much easier.
It works the same way all recruiting works, your in China want to stay in China which is good so you create an IT resume and under credentials you indicate your DC credential is currently tentative, then you use a bullet point to indicate you have your field experience but have completed all other training and assessment. 12 weeks means half way through year one or a quarter of the standard to year contract you ill become fully credentialed.

PYP isnt an age group, its the curriculum for IBs primary program, Primary/Elementary is the age group. There are lots of curriculum approaches for primary.

You arent better than average, but the crucial variable in IE recruiting isnt expertise or experience, everyone in the room can teach, or they wouldnt have gotten in the room, the vast majority of ITs are very indistinct from one another. What matters is "fit" your place in the organizations culture, its really more important to be a good employee than to be a good edu.
Youre a one day relief/substitute, if no one comes screaming to the office and parents dont complain, those that would supervise you have better and more important things to do, the one day out of the month. Someone probably walked by your room the first day and saw that students were engaged and you were engaging with them and called it a day.
I dont know how likely your IS would be to support them, instead of asking an internet forum go ask them, make an appointment with your school head and put it out there in an intro message, describe hat your plan is and if they could see a place for you in an upcoming vacancy, do it now. You dont want to find out a week from now, they had something but they just filled it. Even a LH hire at a top tier IS would be worth it.
Why would they, your cheap, and they get to mold you into their image and they already know they dont dislike you.

[Thames Pirate]

No, I meant that they had the SSN BEFORE they were working and then got their licenses.

[PsyGuy]

@Thames Pirate

Happy you agree with me.

[Thames Pirate]

You just misunderstood my point. I wasn't agreeing with you, just saying something different than you thought I was. But you are right about some non-citizen teachers having SSNs before licensure because they already worked. I was mostly talking about those who were permanent residents before working.

[PsyGuy]

@Thames Pirate

Permanent residents arent foreigners applying for a credential.

[Thames Pirate]

Sure they are. Non-citizens are foreigners. But I agree they are not necessarily in the same boat as the OP.

[PsyGuy]

@Thames Pirate

Your claim that "Non-citizens are foreigners" is one interpretation shared by one particular political US .. There is another interpretation shared by the opposing main US political . that permenant residents are not foreigners, hence the difference between permenant and temporary, permenant being well, permenant, that is incompatible with your position.

[Thames Pirate]

If you say so . . . . my family includes foreigners who have permanent residency. Still foreigners.

[PsyGuy]

@Thames Pirate

If you say so.... My family has non-US citizen members with permanent residency who arent foreignors.