So here's my dilemma, I got a job offer (YAY) the other day from a Skype interview I did that same day. The AP told me that once I sent her an email with my acceptance she sends it to HR and they set up my contract and all the technical stuff. Well, HR calls me and tells me I don't have the requirements (my license is from out of state) and need to take the praxis exam and pass before anything can be processed. I am scheduled to take it this week. My question is however, is it wrong for me to apply to other jobs while all of this is going on? The thing is, even if I do pass the test (which at this point isn't looking like I will) my stuff won't be processed until late August/early September. So I wouldn't even get a contract until then. This is my first offer ever so I'm not really sure how this stuff works. Should I not be applying to other jobs (in other districts)? Technically I accepted an offer but at the same time nothing is guaranteed until I sign a contract right?
Something similar happened to me and I ended up getting a sub cert until my license came in. Why would you apply to other districts? Do you think they will back out of the offer? It will be the same scenario no matter where you apply unless it's within the state in which you are currently credentialed. Why don't you think you will pass the praxis? I bet you'll be fine! Just try and get everything all in ASAP as school starts soon. When do you start?
I don't think they will back out on the offer unless I don't pass the test. To be honest I was studying for the test today and it seems rough. I only have about 3 days to prepare for it and it's all multi subject content (half of which I don't remember) If I send out other resumes it would be in my state so I wouldn't need any more tests etc. School starts the second week of September but the HR person told me flat out that it's gonna take a while for the test to process. So it would be cutting it really close to school starting.
My guess is that the worst case scenario is you obtain a sub license until your teacher license comes in. However, you may have to prove you passed the test beforehand, have applied for the license, and are just waiting for it to come in. Mine took months after applying and submitting all of my materials. You can get a sub license the same day you apply if you go in person. I thought my exams were really hard too, but I did fine. When will you know the results? That's interesting that you got hired without having passed the state exams. Do the states have reciprocity? When I applied for certification in my current state, I did not have to take their state test as my old state test counted. Is there an provisional or emergency certificate you can obtain? The state in which I used to work would issue provisional licenses to teachers licensed out of state and they would obtain a standard after having passed all of the state requirements for certification. Anyways, my best piece of advice would be to keep applying within your current state in case for some reason this job doesn't work out due to licensing issues. However, you may be fine if you can obtain a temporary/provisional or sub license to start the year with. See what your options are.
I would continue to send out resumes. I find it strange that they aren't being more accommodating. Is this a state policy or the district's policy? I have a friend that moved to a different state and they had to take the PRAXIS, but they had until January to pass it.
Yeah I agree still send out resumes. Praxis scores usually don't report for about 4 weeks after you take the exam depending on when in the window you took the exam. If you passed no worries about the job you have been offered. If not then you would need to find something else. Study, study, study! Good luck.:thumb:
Apparently what HR told me is because the school I got hired at is a title I school I need to have extra tests that I wouldn't need if it was not a title one school. I'm assuming everything else transfers over from my state. To be honest she wasn't making a big deal of anything other licence problem, only the test so I'm not really sure if it's more of a reciprocity problem or they just need proof that I took the test and passed? Apparently I find out if I passed the day I take the test but it's not like official anything just shows up on your screen, so I guess if I don't pass that's a sign that I need to focus on another position.
To be honest I find it odd too! I mean I kind of expected I would have to take a test eventually but I thought I would have months rather than days. It's not like I don't have a certification at all.
I agree to go ahead and send out resumes until you have a signed contract in hand. There are so many different scenarios that might lead to the job not coming through. You said this job is in a different state...will you have to move?
Yes it's about 6 hours away. This also causes an issue because i obviously wouldn't move without signing a contract and it looks like getting a contract would be the week before school starts so finding an apartment is going to be rough.
Well, believe it or not after applying to schools in NY, FL, NC and VA the only area I got ANY bites from was VA .... I was definitely expecting NC to at least call for interviews but I didn't even get any responses from them even after emailing principals! VA called me nonstop. I mean, the pay is much better in VA so I'm not upset, just confused.
So is is VA that you will be getting the job in? If so I am in VA and may be able to help. What position is it for? and the test you need to take? I know Title 1 schools MUST have highly qualified teachers if not then the school has to send the parents of those students a letter letting them know their teacher is not highly qualified........HQ is just a matter of being certified in the subject you will be teaching and in this case passing the Praxis to add that endorsement to your license. VDOE takes forever to process licenses etc so don't worry about not having license in hand....once you get the official score then you can send everything to VDOE for processing.....perhaps the school division will do that for you? You can retake the test if you fail when the next testing window opens. HTH ETA: depending on what area of VA the position is in where I am kids report Sept 8th....teachers and staff report the week of Aug 24th.
Yup its VA an elementary position.... HR told me I have to take the Praxis Elementary Multi Subject test and pass before they can give me a contract. Unfortunately if I do not pass they have to start interviewing again... so basically if I don't pass the first time... I will probably lose the offer. The thing is I've been studying as much as I can but there is SO much content I need to remember! If I had more time I would not be as stressed.
Wow what are you certified in? I have heard certified teachers complain about relocating to Virginia and the tests they have to take to be "qualified", lol.
I'm certified from birth - 6 grade in NY To be honest I wish I would have know about all of this sooner, I wo Od have either taken the praxis earlier in the summer or just avoided applying to title one schools.....if I wasn't relocating it wouldn't matter but I don't like not having security.
The elementary Ed content knowledge test is easier than the praxis review. It is a long test but if you do ok on three of the subjects and not so well on the fourth you can still pass.
For VA you do have to pass all four individually. Have you thought about middle school 6th grade at least?
I know where I am middle school is 6,7 and 8th grade and generally the teachers only teach 1 core subject.....middle school may be an alternative......see if the district has any middle school openings that you may qualify for or that may be easier to obtain endorsement for
The elementary Ed content knowledge praxis I took was one test with one score that tested math English science and history, on the upper elementary level. If you did relatively well on three subjects and not as well on the fourth subject you could still pass because the whole test receives one score.
I think it might differ from state to state because I was told I have to pass each subtesr individually ! I guess I will find out after I take it though!
I believe that the four sub-tests exam took the place of one test that covered all four subjects. I took the single test, but about three years later when my son went for his elementary certification, the state required the four individual exams, and that was the exam set that had replaced it. The bright side, if you want to call it that, is that it isn't you must pass all four, or else take all four again. You could pass three, for instance, and would only need to take one of the sub-tests over. I wish you the very best - you are under a lot of pressure.
I was in a similar boat... NY certified teacher accepted a job in Virginia (and based on the travel distances, I'm guessing we'll be working in the same district). The Praxis isn't bad. For the Praxis Multi-subject, there's only a single score. When I took the test (which granted, was five years ago), I remember there was only a requirement to get a certain number, there was no subtest requirements. That may have changed though... but truthfully, the test was a breeze. As long as you're reasonably competent with math and science content up through eighth grade, you'll be fine. There's a reading test you will need to take no later than March, and then you'll have two years to take a reading/writing competency test. One thing to consider... if you're getting a job in the district I think you are... the cost of living is astronomical. The pay seems really great, but finding an affordable apartment nearby will be painful. I personally commute from 40 miles away.
A couple other things though... as you noted, the school is going to move on from you if you don't pass the test, so you need to look out for you. Keep sending resumes until you have a signed contract. Also, if this offer falls through, the district I think you're applying to will have other openings throughout the year. Are you Special Ed certified as well?
I saw the prices for apartments and it's definitely rough!! That was my other problem, i won't find an apartment until they give me a contract and if I pass the test I still won't get a contract until days before school starts instead of weeks. This is freaking me out!! I wanted to have enough time to search for an apartment and not feel pressured to pick one because of a time crunch!! I just feel like this is all happening out of order lol. It's bad enough I'm a first year teacher! Instead of focussing on preparing for that, I need to focus on just passing a test and hoping they don't drop me. Ugh. Anyway ... I do have special Ed but have no experience in it so right now I'm looking for gen Ed positions. I emailed all the principals in the districts and unfortunately the only bites I got were title one schools so it looks like I'm in this boat no matter what. I'm crossing my fingers things work out. If I don't pass the test I guess I need to take it as a sign that the position wasn't meant to be. Gotta admit though it felt really good to be wanted!!
Special Ed may pick you up quicker...those are harder to fill especially at this point......the division you were offered a position in may have sped positions available I know my school division still does and we go back on the 26th....check with HR and see what your other options are based on your current credentials.
Maybe you answered this already so I apologize in advance... How long is the turnaround for scores for the Praxis? School is starting in just a few weeks, so if you took the test next week, would you even have your score before school starts? What a stressful situation to be in! It will all work out though - good luck with everything!!
If it falls through (and I hope it doesn't!), I can offer some future advice for applying in areas you don't know. Once you have an interview scheduled, start researching apartments. When you go to your interview, look at apartments while you are in town. That way you have a plan when you need an apartment and you aren't forced into renting without seeing. When I moved to NC, it was in the middle of a big population boom. I taught in a rural county, and I didn't want to live in the country. (I knew it would amplify homesickness as I'm used to living in a suburban area with quick access to cities.) My preferred town, 20-25 miles away, didn't have any available apartments until October. I ended up renting about 40 miles away in a brand new apartment community. If I hadn't done leg-work while I was there, I probably wouldn't have known about the brand new community and who knows what I would have ended up with. Another apartment-searching tip when you don't know the area- drive through the parking lots before going in or scheduling an appointment. You can tell what types of residents live there by the cars- age and make. If you see new/expensive cars, it is fairly safe to assume the crime rate is low. Someone with a brand new BMW isn't going to rent an apartment in an unsafe area. It would be stolen and/or vandalized.
I didn't have any special ed experience either, but getting a job in the DC Metro with a SPED certification is absurdly easy.
They are referring to the old Praxis test, the 0014/5014 - it was Elementary Education Content Knowledge, it was replaced with the one you have to take in September 2014 in most states, I believe.
Well since this is all so new and foreign to me, I pretty much have to rely on what I read and what others have told me. So from what I've heard it takes 10-19 days for the praxis to be officially processed. This is when I can officially get my contract And continue moving forward. If it's 19 days that leaves me at a few days before school starts so I'm assuming I will probably be missing PD. However, I was also told that you get a raw score right when you finish the test. So if the scores are passing, my job will be safe. If they aren't passing, they obviously have to move on and I guess so do I. I'm scheduled to take the test this weekend, which was the earliest I could find. The thing is though I've only had about 3 days to prepare so as you can imagine I'm kind of freaking out. I mean if I pass I can start planning even without a contract, but in a perfect world I really wanted to be settled way before school started so that my anxiety doesn't get the best of me haha.
Wow!! I love the drive through idea. So smart and so true!! The thing is, believe it or not all my interviews were via Skype. So I never had to actually see the area which is both a good and bad thing for sure. Before I found out I had to take the test I was planning on visiting this week and just looking until I found an apartment. Now, with everything so up in the air I don't know what I'm going to do. If I find out that I pass, I can definitely look around and see what area is suitable, but I wouldn't want to sign a lease until I had a contract in my hand, and who knows how long that will take at this point!!
I got a verbal offer and was told I'd get an email of my nomination in two weeks. Anything can happen these days so I had three extra job interviews, PLUS a demo lesson. I actually had to cancel the demo lesson because I finally got the nomination in my email two days before (they definitely understood!) Definitely keep applying for other jobs and take that Praxis exam. And be on top of HR to make sure they have everything they need to put you in the system. And also see if the school can work something out until you wait (like hiring you as a sub for the time being).
