ACE News
Partnership with Region XIII Education Service Center's Alternative Teacher Certification Program
June 2, 2011
ACE has been "growing teachers" since our inception in 1994. We know that about 30% of our tutors decide to pursue a career in education after their year of service in ACE. Most of them already have sought teacher certification through alternative certification programs or by enrolling in a graduate program that includes teacher certification.
Now, through this partnership, qualified ACE tutors can pursue a post-B.A. teacher certification during their year of service in ACE and be eligible to apply for a teaching job the following year in any school district within the Region XIII service area.
Lauralee Pankonien, Senior Coordinator for Certification at Region XIII, believes ACE tutors would bring considerable background knowledge and real-world experience to their certification studies because of the intensive training and support ACE tutors receive and their year of working full-time in a low-income elementary school. Dr. Mary Ellen Isaacs, ACE Director, says, "We are so excited to partner with a respected alternative certification program, and to be able to offer this opportunity to our tutors. Previously, they have had to pursue certification after their year of service. We believe this will help us to recruit applicants with an interest in a career in education—particularly in high-need areas such as bilingual education and special education—that will be a win-win situation for both of our programs."
For more information, see the FAQ page.