WASHINGTON, DC (March 15, 2005) – Individuals interested in changing careers to enter the teaching profession will now have a new incentive for becoming fully certified teachers. The American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence will offer scholarships for its respected and efficient Passport to Teaching SM certification, the organization announced today.
From March 15-31, individuals who apply as candidates for the Passport to Teaching certification will receive a $50 scholarship toward the $500 certification fee. Interested individuals should enter the special promotional code: springteach2 on their online application.
"With school administrators in need of additional teachers for the 2005-2006 school year, the American Board hopes to increase the pool of highly qualified teachers available to schools," said American Board President Dr. Kathleen Madigan. "To help hiring managers and administrators meet their goals, the American Board is pleased to offer the Spring Into Teaching Scholarships to encourage more career changers to enter teaching."
School districts across the country are experiencing teacher shortages in key areas, and experts predict that America will need between 2.2 and 2.4 million new teachers over the next ten years.
Passport to Teaching is a respected, time-efficient and cost-effective certification process recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Individuals who pursue the five-step Passport to Teaching certification process must prove mastery on rigorous qualifying examinations of subject area and professional teaching knowledge in order to earn certification. The Passport to Teaching preparation process is individualized for each certification candidate; additional college coursework is not required to earn certification.
Passport to Teaching certifications are available in the subjects of mathematics, elementary education, English, general science, and biology.
For more information about Passport to Teaching, call 1-877-NOW-ABCTE For more information, please contact: Andrew Campanella, Director of Communications Phone: 202-261-2634, Mobile: 202-246-2155 E-mail: acampanella@abcte.org.
The American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (www.abcte.org) was created in 2001 to address the need for a highly qualified teacher in every American classroom. The American Board offers the rigorous, five-step Passport to Teaching certification process for knowledgeable and passionate individuals entering the teaching field. Passport to Teaching offers individualized learning plans for teaching candidates to complement the knowledge and skills they have obtained through previous work experience.
The American Board is also developing a Master TeacherMS certification to recognize current teachers who significantly advance student achievement. Master Teacher should be available in 2006.
The American Board is recognized as approved provider of teacher certification in the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.