How do I become a teacher?

March 30, 2009 8:12 PM

How do I become a teacher in the state of California?

I'm a 21-year old graduate from the University of Pennsylvania with a Political Science B.A., currently living and working in the state of Hawaii (where I was born and raised, if that matters for residency). How do I become a schoolteacher (public or private) in the state of California?

posted by the NATURAL to human relations (4 comments total)

Right here.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 8:57 PM on March 30

http://www.cbest.nesinc.com/CA14_testdates_cbt.asp

Take the CBest test. Get a TB test and fingerprint clearance from the CA Department of Justice.

Then you will be eligible to work as a substitute teacher in any county in CA while you pursue the other stuff.

The CBest is embarassingly easy, and once passed, lives forever in your resume.
posted by emhutchinson at 4:52 AM on March 31

I became a substitute teacher in CA about 4-5 years ago. Easiest thing ever (of course at the time CA was desperate for teachers, not laying them off). The CBEST is like a dumbed down version of the SAT. Brush up on your fractions for an hour or two and you are good to go.

After you take the CBEST, get fingerprinted, etc you get an emergency credential that has some time limit on it (something like a year) and then you can sub. There is some program you can also enter to get your credential at night or something along those lines. It seemed pretty easy, but I was only doing it temporarily.

I don't believe there is any residency requirement, but I could be wrong. I moved to CA and had only been living there like a month, if even, when I took the CBEST.
posted by whoaali at 7:30 AM on March 31

Yeah, everyone has you covered on info; just do be aware, as whoaali has mentioned, that it's an awful time to be a teacher here. I guess it's not getting a lot of media coverage outside of the state, but you should do some reading of California newspapers and education blogs if you're seriously considering coming here. The situation is dire; you'd be coming into a serious mess.
posted by wintersweet at 3:17 PM on March 31