What is “Alternative Teacher Certification”?
Alternative teacher certification is a way for those who hold a bachelor’s degree to transition into a teaching career. Those who earn alternative teacher certification bypass the traditional route of earning a bachelor’s degree in education. Instead, they turn to teaching after spending time in another career field. States in the U.S. actively recruit college-educated individuals who wish to become teachers through means of alternative teacher certification. The goal is to attract talented, educated people to the teaching field in order to address the lack of teachers in a particular state’s schools. Prospective teachers apply for the programs and undergo screening, interviews, and background checks. Once accepted to an alternative teacher certification program, the new recruits work in schools as they complete university-based education courses in order to earn certification. These new teachers are usually assigned mentors, experienced teachers who help guide them through the challen
