We recommend that you let the county where you are hired file your application; however, you can apply on your own. Some counties (i.e. Brevard) insist that you do apply on your own. Private schools may have their own procedures. If you go through the county, the process is shorter and the wait less frustrating as the county personnel feel confident that your paperwork has been sent to Tallahassee in an appropriate manner.

Certification is granted by the State of Florida Department of Education Office of Teacher Certification. For degree-seeking students there are three basic steps to full certification.

1. Completion of an approved teacher education degree program.

Note: Successful completion of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination (professional, subject area) and passing all portions of the CLAST are both degree requirements.

2. School districts will arrange for fingerprinting upon hiring. Private schools will provide information on how to obtain fingerprinting.

3. Submitting your certification application together with the following: an official transcript showing degree, a check for the current processing fee, FTCE scores, and CLAST scores if not noted on official transcripts.

About the transcript: You must submit a transcript with your degree posted and the statement for certification, together with all course work, and a record of passing scores on the Subject Area Test, Professional Education Test, and the CLAST Examination. The transcript must be an "official" one, which means that the Registrar's staff has sealed the transcript. Do not open this sealed transcript.

You may order transcripts from the Records Division of the Registrar's Office. There is a $5.00 fee for each transcript ordered. Mark on your request form that you want one with your degree posted; otherwise, you may have all grades listed but with no degree showing. As a part of the College's check to see that your degree has been completed, the College will verify that you completed a State Approved Teacher Education Program in your specific major. The Registrar will place that statement and a statement reflecting that certificate requirements have been met in full on your transcript as a part of your permanent record. When the Certification Office, or any school personnel office, sees that statement they will know that your college work will automatically be accepted as qualifying you for certification in Florida.

About the Application for Certification: These are available from SAS as well as from county school personnel offices or the Certification Office in Tallahassee.

About the Fingerprints: These must be taken by an official law enforcement agency. The Police Department on campus as well as community law enforcement agencies will do fingerprint records for you. There will also be an FBI criminal background check. A cost is involved.

You may want additional certifications beyond the one in your degree area. It is easy to find out what you need or if you are already eligible.

If you are planning on any other certification, thinking you have either completed the requirements or would like to see how close you are, ask for the additional certification on your certification application. Tallahassee will either issue your certificate with the additional field or tell you what is lacking (and you can return to USF after graduation and complete the missing pieces as a non-degree-seeking student.)

For example, if your major is elementary education, but you are interested in middle school math, you must request that. Likewise, if your major in education is biology and you feel as if you have close to enough hours for chemistry certification, you must ask for the chemistry certification. If you do not ask for an additional certificate field, Tallahassee will not review your program for anything other than your university major.

When you are doing your internship, you will probably get directions about setting up your Placement File at the Career Resource Center (SVC 2088). That office does an excellent service in compiling an attractive, comprehensive (if you supply the proper pieces) packet of materials to help you sell yourself to an employer. Education majors are encouraged to register for Teacher Placement during the final semester prior to graduation. Those packets will be sent to anyone you designate as a person who would like to review your qualifications. In addition, the Career Resource Center will refer resumes of registered students to school districts that list teaching positions with the Center. These services will continue free of charge for three months after graduation providing registration is accomplished before graduation. To be on the safe side, you should plan to make copies of your placement file.

Generally in April the Career Resource Center, 974-2171 invites school systems to participate in a Teacher Career Day at USF. It is an excellent opportunity to meet and interview with personnel from school systems throughout the state; education majors are encouraged to attend. The Center also posts information about jobs that are available in agencies and businesses locally, across the state, and nationally.

Finding an open teaching position in the public schools in Florida is often a little nerve-racking, as personnel offices usually only collect paperwork from applicants; principals interview and recommend that applicants be hired; and school boards finalize the recommendations (by law, school boards do the hiring; in practice, the principals do it).

Important ways to find out about openings are through keeping an ear open when you are interning and making sure everybody around your school knows you will be looking for a job; talking with your advisor on campus and your University Supervisor; watching bulletin boards in the Education Building; signing up for any teacher-job-programs such as those sponsored at USF or by the Department of Education of the State of Florida; talking with your building principal as you are finishing internship; and calling the County Job Hot-Line.

Patience is a virtue in getting your first job. Currently the job market is positive in Florida for potential teachers. The systems often have to allow for internal changes, such as transfers, before they are able to talk about firm openings; consequently, you may be contacted later than you would like, but do not despair. For your first job, you may accept something different from your ultimate dream. Then, after some time in that job you may find it is your dream or you may then become one of the transfers. Fast growing areas may be anxious for your talents; less well-known counties may be easier to find a job in than counties with beaches or other vacation destinations; the areas around Lake Panasoffkee may be more open than the shores of the Hillsborough River; Polk or Pasco County may be just as close to where you live as some areas of Hillsborough but much less known to people seeking to move to this area of Florida.

Appearances count in getting teaching jobs. The condition of any material prepared by you will often determine whether you even have a chance to be called for an interview. Applications should be typed; complete, correctly spelled information should be given; photographs, if submitted, should look professional. Reference forms should be delivered with your name and identifying information, and with an addressed, stamped envelope for the evaluator to use if necessary. Each year the College of Education Student Council runs workshops on professional portfolios and resume writing. These workshops might be of assistance to you.

While we certainly hope that you do use your degree for teaching in a school, there are many opportunities in business and government for people with degrees in education. Our graduates have found jobs using their educational skills at local attractions, with publishers, with federal civil service offices, as well as in trainer positions in banking and other financial institutions.

When you are graduating, you should be sure that the University has an as-best-as-you-can-say permanent address for you. Remember they will need to mail you important material like your diploma. In the years to come, notify the University if you need to change an address. We need to locate you for follow-up studies which focus on improving our program. Your opinion is important. Other correspondence will include class reunions, and of course, requests for contributions once you win the lottery or make your first million teaching.

One of the best ways to keep in touch with the College of Education and USF is through the University Alumni Association. Soon, we hope to have an Education Alumni group in place so we can help you find your former colleagues, share information about yourself, and keep up with campus news. When you join the University Alumni Association you automatically become a member of the College of Education Alumni Society.