Change Careers And Teach

Change Careers And Teach (NAPSA)—If you’ve always wanted to become a teacher, there’s a way you can change careers and have a classroom of your own in 2007. The Passport to Teaching program offered by the nonprofit American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (www.abcte.org or 1-877-669-2228) was designed specifically to meet the budgets and schedules of busy professionals. Affordable and flexible, Pass- port to Teaching requires teaching candidates to have a bachelor’s degree in any subject area, pass rigorous subject-area and teaching-knowledge exams and pass a federal background check. No college courses are required to complete the Passport to Teaching program. The basic program fee is only $560. ABCTE pairs each candidate with an advisor, who assists the candidate in preparing for the exams. Candidates can also purchase online courses and practice examsfor preparation purposes. Passport to Teaching is partially subsidized by a U.S. Department of Education grant, and Teaching is becoming more and more popular as a second career for motivated people who want to be part of shaping the next generation of Americans. @ individuals who earn state teacher certification through the program are recognized as highly qualified educators according to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Several states officially recognize the program as a route to state teachercertification. There’s no better time to pursue teaching. Experts predict that America will need 2.4 million new teachers over the next decade, with 40 percent of current teachers leaving the profession within five years. Urban and rural school districts often face the greatest need for new teachers. To learn more about how Passport to Teaching can help you become a teacher, request a free introduction kit from ABCTE by calling 1-877-669-2228 or visiting www.abcte.org.