From: Jim Meadows, Ph.D., Washington Education Association
**If you do not need to earn Professional Certification, please forward this message along to a colleague who does. Thank you!**
Washington teachers who certified after Aug. 31, 2000 are required to attain professional certification. The ProTeach® portfolio, a fully online assessment run by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), is the means by which teachers earn their professional certification. This email contains two important pieces of information for those needing to achieve their ProTeach® certification now. Please also circulate this email with colleagues who may need to meet this requirement:
1. WEA Announces Winter and Summer ProTeach® Jump Start Seminars
The WEA ProTeach® Jump Start Seminar provides candidates with important information about the portfolio requirements, time to examine the three-entry portfolio in detail and the opportunity to plan how to meet requirements. This pre-candidacy support option helps candidates to prepare for the process and complements work with a support group during candidacy. Click here for more information about the ProTeach® Jump Start Seminar.
Winter Seminars: WEA will offer two 2-1/2 day winter versions of its ProTeach® Jump Start Seminar. Registration is now open. The cost for this 20 hour event is $125 for full WEA members and $400 for non-members (non-members are welcome to attend on a space available basis only):
Spokane 2 1/2-Day Seminar (20 hours) -- Jan. 31-Feb. 2, 2013 (Thursday evening 5-8:30 p.m. through Saturday at 5 p.m.).Edmonds 2 1/2-Day Seminar (20 hours) -- Feb. 21-23, 2013 (Thursday evening 5-8:30 p.m. through Saturday at 5 p.m.).
Note: Trainings will be 3.5 hours on Thursday evening and 16.5 hours total on Friday/Saturday. Registration cost includes dinner on Thursday, and breakfast & lunch on Friday & Saturday. Participants must cover their own substitutes for the Friday portion of the training and lodging, if needed. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Up to 20 clock hours are available (clock hour fees are waived for Jump Start). To run each seminar we require at least 25 registrants. If there are insufficient numbers, we will fully reimburse registrations that have been submitted. Course registration will close if a given event reaches capacity.
Summer Seminars: Hold the dates! WEA will offer two, 4-day ProTeach® Jump Start Seminars in Summer 2013. Costs have not yet been finalized, but will be between $200 and $250 for full WEA members. Registration will open in March 2013.
- Spokane 4-Day Seminar -- Week of June 24-28, 2013 (location and exact dates to be determined pending winter weather)
- Western Washington 4-Day Seminar -- July 29-Aug. 1, 2013 (location to be determined)
2. Other resources
WEA also has a ProTeach® Portfolio Facebook page. Become a fan here to stay current with the latest information from Olympia around ProTeach® and professional development opportunities. If you are considering seeking National Board Certification, these three resources may be of help to you in your pre-candidacy planning:
- WEA National Board page contains information about the four-day National Board Jump Start program
- OSPI National Board page contains information about the Washington State Conditional Loan for new National Board candidates
- National Board for Professional Teaching Standards provides key information for educators considering National Board Certification
