Temporary Teaching Certificate Not What it Seems

On April 26, 2004, another route to enter the teaching profession will be available to aspiring secondary school educators. School districts and the universities have been flooded with phone calls for information about the recent approval of the Temporary Teaching Certificate (TTC). The Temporary Teaching Certificate (TTC) allows college graduates in certain fields who pass certification examinations, the opportunity to seek employment teaching in grades 8-12. However, obtaining a TTC is a complicated process and more limited in scope than the public assumes.

According to the website of the Texas State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC), which has recently posted its certificate guidelines (www.sbec.state.tx.us), there are a number of hurdles for applicants. The fees, totaling $438, must be paid up front to cover such things as the application, a review of credentials, fingerprinting, a criminal background check, the Pedagogical and Professional Responsibility examination (PPR) and specific subject matter content exams. These content exams are only available in a limited number of subjects taught in grades 8-12. One should also be aware that the TTC does not include either elementary or middle school teaching through this route.

Even after candidates’ documents have been reviewed and approved and the appropriate examinations passed, there is no guarantee that candidates will secure employment. TTC applicants must seek out their own employment only in those districts with approved Preparation, Mentoring, and Support Plans (PMSP). As of this writing, no districts have as yet been approved. Given the serious funding issues in the public schools, many districts may not opt or be able to take the financial burden of on-the-job teacher preparation. The PMSP must include 80 hours of state-approved pre-service training and 300 hours of in-service training.

The new TTC is actually more restrictive than other alternative routes to teaching such as emergency permits and deficiency plans (phasing out to comply with No Child Left Behind legislation), alternative certification programs, post-baccalaureate programs, or university intern programs. School districts prefer to hire fully certified teachers from accredited programs. The fast-track approved programs offering certification after appropriate coursework and field experiences, including a student teaching experience or internship, are also preferred over temporary or emergency hires.
At Texas Tech University, our nationally accredited College of Education offers a full array of teacher preparation programs in addition to fast-track routes. Our certification candidates receive instruction from a skilled and caring faculty, state examination preparation assistance as well as mentoring and supervision in field experiences. Other private universities in our region also offer excellent preparation programs for aspiring professional educators.

We, at Texas Tech University, College of Education, invite the public to join us in an OPEN HOUSE on Tuesday, May 18, 5:30-7:00 PM at 3008 18th Street in Room 001 at our beautiful new facility. If you or someone you know, would like to explore teaching as a profession, we await you. For immediate information about TTU teacher certification programs or our new Induction Academy for novice teachers, please call (806) 742-1998 Extension 435 or stop by the Dean’s Office for assistance.

Information about Teacher Certificaiton Options at TTU is available.