.:Resource Guides:K-12 Education-Pathway-Teaching at a Public School Without Certification.
K-12 Education
Pathways > Teaching at a public school without certification
There are an increasing number of programs that enable people to teach in public schools without certification. Many states that are experiencing severe teacher shortages are exploring alternative
certification programs to recruit new staff. Some public schools require that you seek certification while you teach. Other programs place uncertified staff in the neediest (and therefore often the most challenging) school settings. If you are a new teacher, we
encourage you to think critically about the support, training and experience offered by any teaching program.
Some programs include:
Teach for America is a national teacher corps of recent college graduates who commit to two years of teaching in under-resourced urban and rural public schools. In some places, Teach for America
provides opportunities to gain certification while teaching.
The New York City Schools created the New York City Teaching Fellows Program to attract talented graduates and professionals to improve public schools. Teaching Fellows must commit to teach for two
years in an under-performing city school. Fellows receive some training and funding to complete a master's degree program.
The Teacher Quality Enhancement Office at the Massachusetts Department of Education is developing alternative paths to certification for new teachers and providing incentives to attract new
staff.
TeachLA University Internship Program is a collaboration of the UCLA Graduate School of Education and the Los Angeles Unified School District to work with teachers
who have emergency certification to provide professional development.
Working in a Public School Outside the Classroom
"As an Area Coordinator for San Francisco School Volunteers I recruit, train, and place volunteers in public schools; I help build capacity in schools for utilizing volunteers; and I facilitate volunteer programs between schools and
community partners. All of these roles are ways folks can be critically involved in public education without becoming teachers."
As schools work harder to connect with families and community agencies, new roles are being created in schools. There are a growing number of jobs that involve working in schools with students, teachers and parents, but do not involve classroom teaching.
Some examples:
Partners in School Innovation, based in the Bay Area, supports school reform in low-income public schools by placing staff in schools to help support reform efforts, community connections and parent
involvement.
The Rhode Island Children's Crusade for Higher Education engages 35 full-time AmeriCorps members in 7 Rhode Island school districts with the greatest number of at-risk children. The Crusade works to
decrease dropout rates and to increase the number of college-ready and work-ready youth in the state.
The National School and Community Corps places over 250 corps members with urban public schools, enriching the school environment, working with parents, operating after school programs and building
links between the school and community -- emphasizing the arts, literacy and community service.
Boston's Citizen Schools offer a 1-2 year Teaching Fellowship that involves participants in hands-on teaching and
community-building in summer and after-school educational programs.
