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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=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![/quote]

OP here, thanks for the great advice. We were actually thinking along those lines. Right now she is thinking of [b]majoring in Spanish/Spanish education and then possibly adding teaching ESL[/b]. 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.[/quote]

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.  [/quote]

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