The San Antonio Express News recently reported 
that some area districts have hiring policies or informal preferences favoring fully certified applicants with bachelor’s degrees from traditional education programs over applicants from alternative teacher certification programs. These preferences remain even though a recent study concludes that there is not enough evidence to suggest that teachers who go through alternative certification programs are less prepared than those who go through traditional college-based teacher preparation programs (see the story “Panel unable to declare a winner in teacher preparation debate” in the July issue of HR Exchange ).
In the article, Denise Strudt, dean of the Dreeben School of Education at the University of the Incarnate Word, says, “The students who graduate from the university’s traditional program with their standard teacher certificate find jobs more easily than those in the alternative programs seeking an internship without full certification.” This seems to reflect the practice of many districts that turn to alternatively certified candidates only after the pool of traditionally trained candidates is exhausted.
Other districts look specifically at factors that point to success in the classroom, not just the certification route. For example, Dick Smith, director of personnel and public relations for Alamo Heights Independent School District says, “If an applicant shows their excitement for student success, their excitement for good instruction, I think that gives a person an advantage over others.”
According to Peggy Malone, director of certification at Education Service Center (ESC) 11 (Fort Worth), area districts don’t necessarily favor candidates from a traditional certification program over an alternative program. “However, they might favor specific alternative programs over others if they model the quality and expectations reflective of their community and district,” says Malone.
Malone says Region 11 districts work hard to hire the best candidate and generally start by looking at fully certified teachers before candidates on a probationary certificate. Districts also look at candidates’ college credit hours in their content fields, plus life and work experience. “It is the actual performance of the prospective teacher in a previous teaching position, student or clinical teacher placement with a traditional or alternative educator preparation program, or previous success with students in an education support position such as substitute teacher or paraprofessional that drives the hiring decisions,” Malone said. “The strength of a traditionally certified candidate is viewed in comparison to an alternative certification candidate's set of skills brought from a previous career and formal training obtained in their respective alternative certification program.”
An informal survey of other ESCs shows that districts have varying preferences when considering an applicant’s route to certification. “For districts in ESC 4 (Houston), the first priority is to hire traditionally trained, already certified candidates, then those who are certified through an ACP, and then those seeking an internship through an ACP program,” says Kurt Van Gilder, director of school personnel solutions at ESC 4. ESC 1 (Edinburg) reported that the districts in this region show no preference for traditionally certified candidates over applicants certified through an ACP.
—“Education bachelor’s preferred,” by Jennifer R. Lloyd, San Antonio Express News, July 5, 2010.
