re: Alternate Route Teacher Programs

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Just depends on where you live, what you teach, and where you're willing to teach.

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Absolutely.

FWIW, working in a major district I can say you're almost always going to start out in a persistently low achieving school and you're going to have to deal with a lot of pressure to perform well despite the type of kids sitting in your classroom. And you really shouldn't just use it as a fall back because grad school might not "work out". Look at maybe subbing (since you don't have your cert) so you can get an idea of what it's like to be in a classroom before you look at doing it permanently. Or at the very least pick something up part-time working with kids. I think people have this very utopian view of what it's like to teach in America today and I've seen more than my fair share of teachers with alt certs fail as a result.

We've hired some Teach for America teachers and a few have done alright. There have been some have some issues with completing their certifications and can be a real headache. And I know our district is starting to get away from alternative certifications so you'll want to take that into consideration as well.