Do you know your state’s teacher certification requirements? How many of you have experienced or heard horror stories about people trying to navigate through your state’s Department of Education website trying to figure out the certification process (not to mention long phone conversations with the DOE that lead nowhere). It can be a tedious and frustrating process. Coupled with rapidly changing requirements which vary from state to state, it’s no wonder so many inspired people end up somewhere other than our classrooms.

Our team spent the past year building the MAT@USC. To do so, we needed to figure out how to help teachers become certified in all states and realized (pretty quickly), that there are no simple, comprehensive sources for certification information on the web. So what did we do? Research. And lots of it. No, it wasn’t fun, but at the end we had developed a huge amount of information on how to become a certified teacher across the country.

While our original intent was to use this to help students interested in the MAT@USC, we also realized quickly that the program was highly selective, and therefore the majority of people wouldn’t be able to access this valuable information…..and great people, who should be teachers, would never see a classroom.

Well, it seemed both unfair and wasteful to go through all of the work to unravel the teacher certification process only to restrict who could benefit from the information, so we decided to use the data to launch Certification Map with the goal of helping future great teachers across the country break down and understand the certification process.

Please check out the site and let us know what you think. We are open to positive feedback as well as constructive criticism on how we could make it better. It is still a work in progress, after all, but we are committed to making it a great resource that is easy to use, informative, and up to date with the most recent state requirements.

See the original article here: http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/where-do-you-want-to-teach-navigating-us-state-educator-certification-criteria/

For all aspiring and current teachers in the New York City Area:

Tuesday February 24, 2009 at 6:30pm
Marriott Downtown
85 West Street (map)
New York, New York

The MAT@USC is a new and innovative Master of Arts in Teaching program delivered online from the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education. Designed for aspiring and current teachers, the program combines interactive online learning with carefully selected field-based experiences in your local area, to provide you with the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to make a difference in the classroom.

Join us on February 24th for a free MAT@USC program information session. The session will feature MAT@USC faculty and staff and will take an in-depth look at the curriculum, technology platform, student services and financial aid opportunities, and much more. Representatives will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about the program and the University.

Space is limited, so reserve your spot today! Please RSVP here.

–Online Tool Offers Custom, State-by-State Certification Information for Prospective Teachers–

LOS ANGELES (February 5, 2009) – Certification Map today announced the launch of its new Web site, CertificationMap.com, a comprehensive online portal for current and prospective teachers to locate teaching certification requirements for every state in the country. CertificationMap.com is the first dedicated web site to customize information state-by-state, providing users with actionable information on attaining necessary certifications and offering guidance on the teaching profession.

CertificationMap.com is sponsored by MAT@USC, the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education’s Master of Arts in Teaching program delivered online, the first of its kind from a major research university. The tool allows users to easily research certification requirements, including skill testing, subject area competence testing and pre-requisite coursework, among others. CertificationMap.com also provides easy click-through access to state Department of Education homepages, creating a convenient one-stop location for information from all 50 states.

“With quality teachers in demand, now more than ever, CertificationMap.com will serve as a tool to help alleviate the frustrations prospective teachers encounter while moving through the sometimes challenging certification process,” said Dean Karen Symms Gallagher of the USC Rossier School of Education. “This is just one more step in our progressive strategy to bring more quality teachers to the workforce by making the entire end-to-end process as accessible and seamless as possible.”

In addition to certification information, the site also provides a snapshot of the education environment in each state, including analyses on average state teaching salaries, student enrollment and rankings by state. Prospective and current teachers can also find relevant daily news articles on “The Credentials Blog” and discuss important issues with other industry professionals and thought leaders on the interactive open forum. Those seeking to obtain certification can also seek additional information via a dedicated Facebook page and via continuous, streaming updates on Twitter, while simultaneously building a virtual community with peers.

“Certification Map goes beyond providing rich content to current and prospective teachers by offering them a portal to interact and participate in discussions with professionals from across the country, ensuring they are continually learning from their peers and sharing experiences,” said Jeremy Johnson, Chief Technology Officer of MAT@USC.

The MAT@USC combines online learning with carefully selected field-based experiences and provides ongoing support for new teachers, including job placement assistance and partial tuition reimbursement opportunities. For additional information on requirements and admissions, please visit http://rossier.usc.edu/mat/ or call 1-888-628-1872.

About Certification Map
Certification Map (www.certificationmap.com) is the first dedicated comprehensive online portal that provides prospective teachers state-by-state information on obtaining certification. Sponsored by MAT@USC, Certification Map is a one-stop, interactive site supplying actionable information on certification requirements and guidance on the teaching profession.

About the USC Rossier School of Education
As part of the University of Southern California and located in the heart of urban Los Angeles, the USC Rossier (ross-EAR) School of Education is one of the world’s premiere centers for the study of urban education, preparing teachers and educational leaders who are committed to strengthening urban education locally, nationally and globally. USC Rossier is leading the search for innovative solutions to the challenges in urban education, and creating mutually beneficial partnerships to rethink curricula, develop sound policy and improve educational environments. (http://rossier.usc.edu)