State Master Educator License Still Pending

By Joanne M. Haas

Ann Kellogg says there is much confusion about the still-pending state assessment process to earn a 10-year Master Educator license.

In fact, Kellogg stresses, it will be a while before the state process is ready to go. Every facet of the process is still being devised by a 12-member committee.

“Our timeline is to have a process in place by July 1 (2004),” said Kellogg, a Department of Public Instruction teacher education consultant and state administrator of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) support program.

The application process regarding the Master Educator license will begin then, and portfolios would not be submitted before May 2005. Prospective applicants should wait “until the process is defined, and until the handbooks are disseminated before they begin working on it,” Kellogg said.

The state’s new teacher licensing law, known as PI 34, provides for three licenses: Initial, Professional and Master Educator.

While the state assessment process to earn the Master License is still in the works, teachers can work toward obtaining the license by pursuing national certification through the NBPTS for a fee of $2,300. A National Board-certified educator qualifies for the Master License if he or she chooses to apply.

One advantage of seeking the license, Kellogg said, is it is a 10-year renewable license versus the five-year Professional License. In addition, some districts are recognizing the value of a master educator in pay ranges.

The state reimburses educators for costs associated with earning national certification (up to $2,000 in the first year after certification) and provides annual grants of $2,500 for the nine years after. But it should be noted the national certification does not replace state licensing.

Kellogg said earning the state Master License involves a different process than earning or renewing the Professional Educator license, which involves creating and completing a professional development plan (PDP) based upon the 10 Standards.

The portfolio required for the Master Educator will take one or two years to develop, and it will include “very specific” evidence requirements and rubrics “and be accompanied by a video demonstration of exemplary performance.” The materials documenting a mastery of the state standards will be reviewed by three trained professionals from the same license categories of the person submitting the portfolio.

“What we are working on now is how to conduct that training,” Kellogg said.

The whole process will be comparable to earning the National Board certification, she said.

Kellogg said it is important to note that having a master’s degree alone does not qualify someone for pursuing a Master Educator license. Instead, a person seeking the Master Educator license must have completed five years as a professional educator and have a master’s degree.

If you are interested in earning the top license, wait for the 2004 release of the DPI handbook on the Master Educator Assessment Process and check OnWEAC for updates.

For more information about the National Board certification process now available, visit the OnWEAC Resource Page on National Board Certification.

10 standards 'rock' education
Resource page on teacher licensing

Posted November 25, 2003