Press Room

Governor Matt Blunt will sign the first bill this session, which will allow an additional option for teacher certification in Missouri. The new option, offered by the non-profit group the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE), is a program designed specifically for mid-career professionals.

“We need to provide the opportunity for highly motivated people with education and experience in these areas to have the training to bring their expertise to the classroom. Missouri’s current system of alternative certification of professionals who want to become teachers is too restrictive. I support this alternative, to allow certification through the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence,” Governor Blunt said.

Missouri becomes the eighth state joining Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Idaho and Utah to recognize ABCTE’s Passport to Teaching program as a route to state teacher certification. Nationwide, nearly 1,000 people have completed certification with Passport to Teaching and 2,250 are currently enrolled in the program.

In an unprecedented show of support for the new program, Governor Blunt will embark on a multi-city tour to ensure awareness of this new opportunity for Missouri professionals. ABCTE President David Saba will join the Governor. “The Passport to Teaching program is a great addition to the current routes to certification in Missouri because it attracts talented professionals who wouldn’t otherwise enter teaching through a traditional route,” said Saba. “We are very excited to introduce our innovative program in Missouri and start recruiting career changers into the program today.”

At the start of the 2007 school year Missouri needed to hire 1,121 teachers to fill vacancies. ABCTE recruits teachers at no cost to the state or school districts. The ABCTE legislation is one of only five non-appropriation bills to pass the Missouri legislature this session and one of the first to be signed by the Governor. Due to recent press coverage of the ABCTE legislation, more than 300 Missourians have inquired about the Passport to Teaching and a potential physics teacher enrolled in the program this past weekend.

ABCTE is planning a tour of free teacher recruitment events in Missouri during July. School districts are invited to attend to meet prospective teachers for their schools and learn more about how the Passport to Teaching program works. People interested in becoming teachers can attend to learn more. Details on the events will be available soon. For more information, visit www.abcte.org/events.

ABCTE will offer Passport to Teaching certification in English, math, general science, biology, physics and chemistry. Candidates enrolled in the Passport to Teaching program must demonstrate mastery on examinations of teaching knowledge and subject area knowledge. Individuals with bachelor’s degrees can prepare for certification on their own time and at their own pace, using preparation materials available from a variety of sources.

For more information, visit www.abcte.org or call 1-877-669-2228.

More than 100 prospective teachers have already signed up for the very first free Classroom Management Workshop hosted by by the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE). Career changers interested in becoming teachers can now sign up and learn helpful strategies that will help them to better handle discipline and classroom behavior in their first years of teaching.

The workshops offer a dynamic perspective on classroom management strategies with video demonstrations. The first workshop will be held April 24th at 6 p.m. EST. Interested participants can sign up for a workshop at www.abcte.org. Additional workshops will be offered each month.

“One of the biggest challenges for new teachers is classroom management,” said ABCTE President Dave Saba. “This workshop is not only designed to give new teachers helpful tools, but also to provide a clearer picture of the teaching experience for career changers who are considering a switch to the teaching profession.”

The workshop is an online seminar hosted by Mike Kelley and Dr. Glen Moulton. Kelly is the author of Rookie Teaching for Dummies and the creator of ABCTE’s Prepare to Teach Workshops. Dr. Moulton is a supervisor of instruction and lifelong teacher trainer. Participants can submit questions to host Mike Kelley after the workshop. Kelley and Moulton will guide participants through common pitfalls and provide practical solutions to help make entry into the classroom a success.

About ABCTE
The American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence is a non-profit organization, dedicated to recruiting, certifying and supporting excellent teachers essential for student success. The American Board offers Passport to Teaching–an innovative teacher preparation and certification program for highly knowledgeable individuals who want to change careers and become teachers. For more information about the American Board, please visit www.abcte.org.

The American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE) is hosting two teacher recruitment events for professionals who want to change careers and teach in Idaho. The events will be held in Boise on April 26th and Nampa on April 24th.

“There are already more than 500 professionals in Idaho who are currently enrolled in ABCTE’s Passport to Teaching program and we have issued 335 certifications in Idaho. We have met so many Idaho residents who have struggled to find a program that fits into their busy lives. Passport to Teaching meets their needs and that’s why we have so many Idahoans pursing certification with our program,” said David W. Saba, president of ABCTE.

At the sessions, attendees can meet ABCTE representatives to discuss how they can earn their teacher certification using the Passport to Teaching program. For more information or to register to attend a free information session, visit www.abcte.org

Event Details:

Thursday, April 24, 2008
Sessions start at:
5:00, 6:00pm & 7:00pm
Nampa Civic Center - South Home Federal Rm
311 Third Street South
Nampa, ID, 83651

Saturday, April 26, 2008
Sessions run hourly:
10:00am - 2:00pm
(Last session starts at 1pm)
Doubletree Hotel Boise-Riverside
2900 Chinden Boulevard
Boise, ID, 83714

Candidates for Passport to Teaching must hold a bachelor’s degree in any subject area, pass a background check, pass an examination in teaching knowledge and an examination in the subject area they want to teach. Candidates are not required to take additional college courses in order to earn a teaching certificate. ABCTE offers Passport to Teaching certification in elementary education, special education, English, history, math, general science, biology, physics and chemistry.