University of Washington plans 'alternative' teacher certification

However many Teach for America recruits come to the Seattle area this fall, they'll likely earn their teaching certificates through a program at the University of Washington.

The UW announced Wednesday that it plans to open a new, accelerated training program designed for Teach for America recruits — mostly young college graduates who did not major in education. The recruits start teaching with just five weeks of intensive training in the summer, then work toward their teaching certificates once they've already started teaching.

If approved by the state's Professional Educator Standards Board, the program will mark the first time that the UW has offered such an "early-entrance" program. Participants in the UW's main teacher-training program spend four quarters in a combination of coursework and student teaching before they are responsible for a classroom of their own.

Tom Stritikus, dean of the UW College of Education, said he sees the new UW program as an opportunity for the university to help shape a new breed of teacher-education programs.

"The world of alternative certification isn't going away, and we need to make sure it's done really well," he said.

But even though Stritikus is a Teach for America alumnus himself, he said the UW's partnership with Teach for America shouldn't been seen as an endorsement of that program.

The UW, he said, plans to seek funding to answer questions about whether Teach for America's training model is a good one.

"At a broader level," he said, "this is a really great opportunity for a research university ... to push its thinking about what the features and the content of really effective teacher education is."

Teach for America announced earlier this year that it will expand to the Puget Sound area this fall. The Federal Way School District has committed to hiring at least four of its recruits and Seattle Public Schools has said it will consider hiring up to 25, but isn't guaranteeing it will offer jobs to any.

Founded 20 years ago, Teach For America offers noneducation majors the chance to become teachers. Last year, it received 46,000 applications for 4,500 spots. Recruits spend a minimum of two years teaching, and are paid the same as any other first-year teacher.

Supporters say Teach for America offers a good, new source of teaching talent. Critics question whether it's wise to place young college grads in classrooms with such little training.

The UW says it has been told to expect about 35 participants for its new program, which will be called UW Accelerated Certification for Teachers, or U-ACT.

As part of the U-ACT program, Teach for America recruits will spend about eight hours a week in sessions with UW professors, and also will be required to participate in some online activities, said Morva McDonald, who will be the U-ACT director.

They will be able to earn their teaching certificates by the time their first year in the classroom is over, she said, and can also choose to go on to earn a master's degree in education.

Washington state already has a number of other so-called alternative teacher certification programs. About 1,000 people have completed them since 2003, with 300 more in the pipeline, according to the Professional Educator Standards Board.

The headline for this article, originally published May 11, 2011, was corrected May 12, 2011. The previous headline said the University of Washington is considering opening a training program for Teach for America recruits. However, the UW's planning for the program is well under way, and the program is awaiting final approval from the state's Professional Educator Standards Board.