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PRZOOM - /newswire/ -
Summerville, SC, United States, 2007/07/17 - The South Carolina legislature is now accepting the Passport to Teaching certification program offered by the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE). Representatives will be in South Carolina for 3 recruitment sessions.
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The South Carolina legislature has voted to accept the Passport to Teaching program, offered by the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE) as a new route to full teacher certification.
ABCTE will be hosting three teacher recruitment events throughout South Carolina July 31 –August 4. The events are free to all individuals who are interested in learning about how they can become a teacher in South Carolina. Interested participants are encouraged to register for the free events online or to call 877-669-2228 for more information. ABCTE offers a state-approved alternative teacher certification program, called Passport to Teaching, which is a high quality affordable flexible program.
Event Details:
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
5-8 pm
Embassy Suites Hotel Airport/Convention Ctr
5055 International Boulevard
North Charleston, SC 29418
Thursday, August 2, 2007
5-8 pm
Carolina First Center
One Exposition Drive
Greenville, SC 29607
Saturday, August 4, 2007
10:00AM to 2:00 pm
Radisson Hotel Columbia & Conference Center
2100 Bush River Road
Columbia SC 29210
“We are excited to begin recruiting career changers into the teaching profession in South Carolina and help the state fill teaching positions in critical shortage areas," said David W. Saba, president of ABCTE. “We know that our program will attract more people into teaching and prepare them for the classroom experience.”
"ABCTE has the potential to make a real impact in getting more qualified teachers in our classrooms, and we're pleased to welcome this program to our state," Governor Mark Sanford said.
At the start of the 2006 school year South Carolina was short 680 teachers and needed to hire 8,101 new teachers to fill vacancies. More alternatives for teacher licensure are needed, especially since last year there were only 2,114 graduates from colleges of education in South Carolina and 454 graduates of the PACE program. Passport to Teaching certification will help to meet the critical need for new teachers in South Carolina by offering another alternative program that will attract professionals into teaching.
ABCTE will offer Passport to Teaching certification in English, math, general science, biology, physics and chemistry. Candidates enrolled in the Passport to Teaching program must demonstrate mastery on examinations of teaching knowledge and subject area knowledge. Individuals with bachelor’s degrees can prepare for certification on their own time and at their own pace, using preparation materials available from a variety of sources.
South Carolina becomes the seventh state joining Florida, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Idaho and Utah to recognize ABCTE’s Passport to Teaching program, as a route to state teacher certification. The Passport to Teaching program is a unique addition to the current alternative certification program, PACE, already available in South Carolina and is designed specifically for career changers.
The American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence is a non-profit organization dedicated to recruiting, certifying and supplying excellent teachers essential for student success. ABCTE offers the Passport to Teaching program –an innovative alternative route to teacher certification for highly knowledgeable individuals who want to change careers and become teachers. ABCTE is currently developing Master Teacher, an advanced credential for teachers who advance student learning.
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contact[.]abcte.org 
