Should a student, in general go to a college in the state/area where they want to end up?

[Anonymous]

I agree with the PPs that most teachers (certified, teaching in public schools) are required to get a Master's but generally you don't need one to start. For her undergraduate experience, I think she should go where she wants. I attended a mid-West Big 10 undergrad and later earned my Master's at UVA. Most states have a reciprocity process and it is not uncommon for teachers to be certified in multiple states. While I think that most teachers tend to stay in the area they are at, I have found that there are teachers who have been purposefully transient. Not just in terms of following a spouse's career but in moving from one state to the other to explore.

I think the biggest piece of advice I have for your daughter is not about where to go to school but to have a back-up plan. She needs to hedge her bets. Every year I watch eager young men and women enter the profession and then feel stuck because their degree won't allow them to easily transition to another career. Unless she is dead-set on teaching elementary, she should earn a primary degree in a subject that gives her some flexibility - English, Math, History, one of the Sciences - and then back those up with her education requirements. This may mean that she teaches middle school or high school rather than elementary. Also, she should definitely look at the primary degree being in a high need area so that she has some flexibility and an easier time landing a slot.

Now, if she believes that she absolutely has to teach elementary then she should look at an elementary ed major with a English/History/Math/whatever minor. This may mean an extra semester or some extra courses. This is important because one thing they never tell teachers in the teacher programs is that it is much harder to move into elementary than it is to move from elementary. The list of core courses for elementary is substantial.

Whatever school she ends up going to be sure to ask a lot of questions. It can be a easy but also complex process to get certified and you want to make sure her path is as smooth as possible. Good luck to your daughter!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend wants his daughter to attend Rice because he knows she won't want to stay in Houston.

Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the country, booming economy, growing quickly, etc.

Your friend sounds close-minded.

Houston has the worst weather in the country and has nothing you can't find elsewhere. You sound dim.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most teachers in MD need to get master's degrees

Um, that is a lie.

There are 4 teachers at my DD’s school with masters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most teachers in MD need to get master's degrees

Um, that is a lie.

There are 4 teachers at my DD’s school with masters.

I suspect your kid is at a small private.

There's no way a normal parent would know the academic status of all the teachers at an ordinary public school.

I'm fairly certain that at least 4 of the six teachers my son had in elementary school had one.

[Anonymous]

Op, I say let your kid explore. If she's going to be a teacher, she's employable all over the country and even beyond. So don't worry about it.

The thing to worry about is if the school she's at has mostly local kids, she may end up married to a local and staying for that reason.

I'm just thinking about that because I went to a nationwide law school and now am back at my hometown on the opposite coast, and have brought my fellow student, now-DH, with me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For DS, who likes JMU and VA Tech, that means I'd say he should pick VA Tech since, IME, more people on the West coast have heard of that while nobody knows JMU.

Nobody out West knows about VA Tech, either. Choose Tech over JMU because it is a better school not because more people far away have supposedly heard of it.

I'm a Tech alumni who moved to Portland and everyone I met had heard of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the PPs that most teachers (certified, teaching in public schools) are required to get a Master's but generally you don't need one to start. For her undergraduate experience, I think she should go where she wants. I attended a mid-West Big 10 undergrad and later earned my Master's at UVA. Most states have a reciprocity process and it is not uncommon for teachers to be certified in multiple states. While I think that most teachers tend to stay in the area they are at, I have found that there are teachers who have been purposefully transient. Not just in terms of following a spouse's career but in moving from one state to the other to explore.

I think the biggest piece of advice I have for your daughter is not about where to go to school but to have a back-up plan. She needs to hedge her bets. Every year I watch eager young men and women enter the profession and then feel stuck because their degree won't allow them to easily transition to another career. Unless she is dead-set on teaching elementary, she should earn a primary degree in a subject that gives her some flexibility - English, Math, History, one of the Sciences - and then back those up with her education requirements. This may mean that she teaches middle school or high school rather than elementary. Also, she should definitely look at the primary degree being in a high need area so that she has some flexibility and an easier time landing a slot.

Now, if she believes that she absolutely has to teach elementary then she should look at an elementary ed major with a English/History/Math/whatever minor. This may mean an extra semester or some extra courses. This is important because one thing they never tell teachers in the teacher programs is that it is much harder to move into elementary than it is to move from elementary. The list of core courses for elementary is substantial.

Whatever school she ends up going to be sure to ask a lot of questions. It can be a easy but also complex process to get certified and you want to make sure her path is as smooth as possible. Good luck to your daughter!

OP here, thanks for the great advice. We were actually thinking along those lines. Right now she is thinking of majoring in Spanish/Spanish education and then possibly adding teaching ESL. The ESL part appears to be handled in different ways depending on the school. I thought that would give her some options in the work force and possibly lead to related careers down the road. Thanks for chiming in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend wants his daughter to attend Rice because he knows she won't want to stay in Houston.

Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the country, booming economy, growing quickly, etc.

Your friend sounds close-minded.

Houston has the worst weather in the country and has nothing you can't find elsewhere. You sound dim.

Different poster. Houston's weather is great from October to May. It is one of the most diverse cities in the country with outstanding cultural offerings for art, music, sports, and food, and has absolutely top notch medical facilities. Kids who go to Rice or any other good schools in TX will have incredible opportunities due to the strength of the regional job markets. You and your friend are morons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"DC is really expensive to live in. Only NY, Cali and parts of Boston are probably more expensive."

Seattle and Chicago

Ha! Chicago is super affordable! It’s not even in the same ballpark as the rest of the list.

[Anonymous]

I am in the DMV because I left the area where I grew up (my parents are still there). My oldest is a junior, and I will not allow colleges on the west coast. Partly because I don't want her to end up there, and partly because if things don't go well (these are reasonable concerns given her individual history - not being a crazy helicopter parent), I need her to be able to get home and or for one of us to be able to get to her quickly.

Once she is fully launched, if she chooses to get a job and live far away, that is fine. But for now, she needs to be moderately close (not UVA close, but Chicago/Boston/NC close).

[Anonymous]

I came to school at GW and am still here 30 years later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For DS, who likes JMU and VA Tech, that means I'd say he should pick VA Tech since, IME, more people on the West coast have heard of that while nobody knows JMU.

Nobody out West knows about VA Tech, either. Choose Tech over JMU because it is a better school not because more people far away have supposedly heard of it.

I'm a Tech alumni who moved to Portland and everyone I met had heard of it.

Nobody in Portland is from out West.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the PPs that most teachers (certified, teaching in public schools) are required to get a Master's but generally you don't need one to start. For her undergraduate experience, I think she should go where she wants. I attended a mid-West Big 10 undergrad and later earned my Master's at UVA. Most states have a reciprocity process and it is not uncommon for teachers to be certified in multiple states. While I think that most teachers tend to stay in the area they are at, I have found that there are teachers who have been purposefully transient. Not just in terms of following a spouse's career but in moving from one state to the other to explore.

I think the biggest piece of advice I have for your daughter is not about where to go to school but to have a back-up plan. She needs to hedge her bets. Every year I watch eager young men and women enter the profession and then feel stuck because their degree won't allow them to easily transition to another career. Unless she is dead-set on teaching elementary, she should earn a primary degree in a subject that gives her some flexibility - English, Math, History, one of the Sciences - and then back those up with her education requirements. This may mean that she teaches middle school or high school rather than elementary. Also, she should definitely look at the primary degree being in a high need area so that she has some flexibility and an easier time landing a slot.

Now, if she believes that she absolutely has to teach elementary then she should look at an elementary ed major with a English/History/Math/whatever minor. This may mean an extra semester or some extra courses. This is important because one thing they never tell teachers in the teacher programs is that it is much harder to move into elementary than it is to move from elementary. The list of core courses for elementary is substantial.

Whatever school she ends up going to be sure to ask a lot of questions. It can be a easy but also complex process to get certified and you want to make sure her path is as smooth as possible. Good luck to your daughter!

OP here, thanks for the great advice. We were actually thinking along those lines. Right now she is thinking of majoring in Spanish/Spanish education and then possibly adding teaching ESL. The ESL part appears to be handled in different ways depending on the school. I thought that would give her some options in the work force and possibly lead to related careers down the road. Thanks for chiming in.

This sounds like a great plan! You're right that the ESL part is different depending on the school and the Principal's philosophy. If she lands an ESL slot (so not teaching Spanish) then what I've seen is that in some schools she may be co-teaching and in other schools she will be self-contained for ELA or math. Both the ESL and the Spanish endorsements (b/c Spanish is a "special" in elementary and the specials teachers generally do not need to be elementary certified) also will allow her to move between secondary school and elementary if she wants.

[Anonymous]

OP have her look into 4+1 programs where teachers can get a Master's with just one additional year of school. I would not worry about reciprocal licenses, it's typically a very simple process

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For DS, who likes JMU and VA Tech, that means I'd say he should pick VA Tech since, IME, more people on the West coast have heard of that while nobody knows JMU.

Nobody out West knows about VA Tech, either. Choose Tech over JMU because it is a better school not because more people far away have supposedly heard of it.

When did you move? I had heard of VA Tech growing up in the west but only after the mass shooting (Not trying to be a jerk, I'm from a town that most people know from a mass shooting)


I'm a Tech alumni who moved to Portland and everyone I met had heard of it.