Let’s say you just graduated with a B.A. in primary education from New zealand and you are wanting to pursue another B.A in elementary education in the United states. Courses offered in New zealand in elementary education differ to the courses offered in the United states, with the exception of a few. My question is, by having two B.A’s and with the use of international experience abroad and the development of skills and knowledge in subject areas within elementary education, will that score you a better Job within the teaching profession? Will your application be more strongly considered? I know it wont land you as a Principal, but I would like to hear your input.
To the last response, im not quiet sure what you mean by having a primary license and then a elementary license? They are both the same thing… primary/elementary teaching license. How will having TWO degrees in the same field make me marketable?
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I agree with Terry about not going for a 2nd degree (multiple degrees are not necessarily advantages in teaching). In addition, you would likely find yourself duplicating many courses, particularly the historical and theoretical ones, and that is quite expensive here in the US. I would take the GRE (or whatever grad school entrance test a program requires) and enroll in a graduate program, because a masters degree is becoming more of an expectation for teachers anyway.
The graduate program will review your B.A. transcript and tell you if you need to go back and take any undergraduate (i.e. bachelors) courses, which you are free to take anywhere at an accredited college or university and which you can take simultaneously with graduate (i.e. masters) courses.
I’m not sure what you mean by “better job.” Principal is not a better job; it’s an entirely different job with different academic preparation and requirements, and should not be considered as a the next rung on the career ladder. Frankly, you couldn’t pay me enough to become a principal.
As for teaching, the work is the same no matter where you go; it’s the location that makes one better than another. What makes you a stronger candidate in the “better” (i.e. higher paying) areas is experience, GPA and/or Praxis scores, how well you interview and — yes, sadly — who you know.
The more you have the more marketable you are. This means that they can use you in various areas. If the choice is between an applicant that just has primary license and an elementary license, they would choose the elementary license because they can use you in more situations. So, by you having both, it makes you more marketable.
You may have to take tests in the US before you’d even be certified to teach here (in Ohio anyways- all the states are different they set up their own requirements), they’re not hard if you know your education. If you have a specific state you’re interested in I would check with that state’s department of education for further requirements.
I have two degrees and in a state that is hard to find a job in (Ohio), I was fortunate enough to land a job two weeks after graduating from college. I majored in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Intervention Specialist. The special ed degree is what made me marketable in Ohio. But like I said the requirements vary by state so check with the state department of ed that you’re interested in.
P.S. I think the fact that you have international experience makes you marketable as a person and anyone would see that as an awesome opportunity!
New Zealand in recent years has served as an educational model for the United States. I think you will be rather sad to find that education is taken far less seriously here, and that your training in the US will be substandard to what you received in NZ. Having a double degree may or may not increase your chances of being hired. However, if you can coach basketball…well, that’s another story.
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I would think twice about getting a second degree in Elem. Ed just to get a better job offer. Private schools typically don’t pay as well as public schools, and public schools pay based on years of experience plus a stipend for advanced (MA, PhD) degrees.
The US is desperate for teachers in many, but not all, areas of the country. You would do better to land a job first. You will have to take additional coursework and/or professional development classes your first year or two of employment. I recommend that you finish that process, then complete a master’s program at a local college. By that time, you might be considered a local resident and receive lower tuition rates OR your school district/state gov might pay part of your tuition.