Kimberly and Glenda Lynn--thank you VERY much for sharing your information.? I believe Wisconsin has an arrangement very similar to that of Minnesota-- certification in K-12 ESOL permits a teacher to teach adult ESOL.? I agree with Kimberly that it is unfortunate that K-12 certification is considered adequate--even desirable-- for teaching adult ESOL when those of us who have taught at both settings know the issues are often extremely different.?? Even more important is that I believe adult ESOL educators should have a firm grounding in adult pedagogy as well as adult language acquisition.? 

This information is VERY helpful to our thinking.? It is encouraging that there is an increasing expectation that adult educators will continue their PD and will be increasingly expected to have some training or education about teaching adults.?? 

Thanks again for helping us out!? Robin Lovrien Schwarz 


 


 

-----Original Message-----
From: Kimberly A. Johnson <kjohnson60 at gw.hamline.edu>
To: englishlanguage at nifl.gov
Sent: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 5:01 pm
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4003] Re: Credentialing for adult ESOL teachers










Hi there, Robin.  Things are pretty complicated up here in Minnesota!  Adult 
Basic Education is housed within the K-12 system, so ABE ESL teachers working 
within an ABE program connected to a school system (this is the vast majority of 
our ABE programs) are required to have a valid teaching license (either a K-12 
license or an ABE license) OR they need to have an MA-TESOL.  For ESOL teachers 
working in ABE as part of smaller, community-based organizations, the 
organizations can determine necessary qualifications.  Some require a license 
and some do not.  One of the infuriating inequities in this system, in my view, 
is that a K-12 license -in any area- is enough to qualify a teacher to teach any 
ABE subject, including ESOL.  (Of course, the reverse is not true...you cannot 
teach K-12 with an ABE license.)

To maintain licensure, all licensed teachers are required to earn 125 CEUs every 
five years, and there are a couple of specific relicensure areas such as 
"reading" and "adapting curriculum to meet the need of diverse learners."  I 
coordinate a program designed to provide professional development to ABE 
practitioners throughout MN and all of our PD options give teachers 
opportunities to earn CEUs.

One thing that we have done at my institution is create an 8-credit Certificate 
for Adult ESL (http://www.hamline.edu/education/academics/certs/esl_adult.html 
).  The eight credits can be used to satisfy some CEU requirements and the 
certificate credits can be applied toward an MA-TESOL degree here at Hamline.  
We find that many teachers take the certificate courses just because they do not 
feel prepared to work with adult ESOL students, even if those teachers have no 
intention of continuing on for the MA.  BTW, these courses are all online and we 
do have practitioners from outside of MN who enroll.

There you go!  Let me know if you have questions,
Kimberly Johnson
ATLAS Coordinator (www.hamline.edu/atlas )
Hamline University
St Paul, MN



>>> <robinschwarz1 at aol.com> 3/5/2009 2:30 PM >>>

HI listers-- I am working with a group at my school to improve an in-house 
credentialing requirement the school has for teachers.? We are wondering what 
other schools. programs, states do about credentialing adult ESOL teachers.?? Do 
any of you have requirements for CEU's?? If so, are there specifications for 
those?? Do you or does anyone you know hire only teachers with some kind of 
credential or qualification that can be obtained externally?? Once hired, do 
teachers have to continue their PD to stay hired or get a raise??? 

I'd be really grateful for information and feedback on this issue. 

Robin Lovrien Schwarz 

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