FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why do I need to do ProTeach?
2. Why should you choose my class instead others or a university?
3. Why should I take a support class?
4. Where will the class held?
5. When will the class be held?
6. What is the cost?
7. May I get credits and/or clock hours?
8. Does the State of Washington charge a fee for the ProTeach process?
9. What exactly do I do to meet the ProTeach requirements?
10. How long do I have to complete ProTeach?
11. Are there other options than the support class?
12. Where may I obtain more information regarding ProTeach, my eligibility, the process, the rationale, and resources through PESB (Professional Educators Standards Board)?
1. Why do I need to do ProTeach?
If you hold a residency certificate as a teacher through the State of Washington, you must complete a portfolio that addresses twelve (12) state-defined criteria to obtain your ongoing professional certification as a teacher. You must write and pass three “entries” meeting three overall standards: effective teaching, professional development, and professional contributions.
For further information regarding the process and your eligibility for ProTeach, please go to Question 12 for additional information.
2. Why should you choose my class instead others or a university?
There are a number of advantages for taking the class from me. First, you know exactly who your instructor will be, and I am an approved Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) support provider. Second, I have helped over 300 teachers through this process during the past eleven years. In the past, I was also a scorer and presenter for the Educational Testing Service (ETS), the organization that scores the submitted portfolios. Further, while I cannot guarantee you will pass, every single person who has taken this class has passed their ProTeach requirements. The cost is similar to other providers throughout the state. However, I have built in more guidance, peer review, and consultation, thus my class includes more support. And lastly, you need not take the class for credit or clock hours unless you want to. It is your choice, thereby saving you that expense.
3. Why should I take a support class?
PESB encourages teachers to enroll in a support class for many reasons, even though you can do the work independently. Those teachers who enroll in a support class better understand the process. Further, the first time pass rate varies yearly from 74%- 80% for those who submit their portfolios online without a support providers’ assistance. The first time pass rate is approximately 95% for those who take a support class provided by the various providers. Additionally, those who take a support class are able to work with peers and grow and learn to become better teachers while completing their certification. If you have to re-submit your portfolio, there is a fee for each entry, so you do not want to have that situation.
You can do this entirely on your own, online, by going to the PESB website and registering to begin the process. PESB also maintains a list of approved support providers at the following website: http://assessment.pesb.wa.gov/assessments/proteach/proteach-support-providers
4. Where will the class held?
The class will be held at North Seattle College in Room 1353A. NSC is right across the freeway from Northgate shopping mall. On the menu bar of this website under “class location” is a map to the college and the room’s location.
5. When will the class be held during the 2017-2018 school year?
The class will be held on three Saturdays each quarter. For Entry 1, the classes will be on Saturday, September 16th, from 9:00 until 3:00pm. The second class will be October 21st, from 9:00-3:00pm. The third class will be December 9th, from 9:00 to 1:00pm. For these classes we will take a short break for lunch, but mostly it will be a working lunch, so we may end earlier.
The classes for Entry 2 are on Saturday, January 6th (9:00-1:00pm), February 10th (9:00 -1:00pm); and March 17th (9:00-1:00pm).
Entry 3 classes will be held on Saturday, April 14th (9:00-1:00pm), May 12th (9:00-1:00pm), and June 9th (9:00-1:00pm).
6. What is the cost?
The cost of the class for each quarter is $275. If you enroll for all three entries, which almost everyone has done in the past, the total will be $825. The course fees include the Saturday in-class sessions, review of each entry, all printed materials, and individual consultation and guidance for a total of 20 hours per quarter. An initial non-refundable deposit of $75 will reserve your place in the class. This deposit will be applied to the final course fees for the quarter collected at the first session. This fee may be paid by credit card through PayPal through the link under “Course Information/Registration.” The remaining balance will be payable at the first class by check or credit card. (If you need to use a purchase order, please contact me.)(Note: The course fees do not include the cost for credits nor clock hours.)
7. May I get credits and/or clock hours?
You may choose to obtain credits or clock hours through Seattle University, but you are under no obligation to do so. Each quarter is two credits, at $40 per credit, or a total of $80 per quarter. You can choose if you want credits for the entire year (6 credits total), or just some quarters, or none. The other option is to obtain clock hours. The course provides 20 clock hours each quarter, for a potential of 60 clock hours for all three quarters. Clock hours cost $2 per clock hour, or a total cost of $120.
Again, you do not need to register for the credits or clock hours, although many teachers choose to do so.
It should be noted that upon completion and passing of ProTeach, even as recently as this year (2017), you will be notified by PESB that you may obtain 150 clock hours. However, the State does not allow these hours to be utilized for certification renewal, only salary advancement, if allowed by your district.
8. Does the State of Washington charge a fee for the ProTeach process?
Yes, when you register to begin the process of submitting your narratives and artifacts and final scoring, the fee they charge is $570. (See the PESB website at:
http://www.waproteach.org/registration/fees.html
9. What exactly do I do to meet the ProTeach requirements?
You must write narrative responses and collect artifacts that answer the prompts in Entry 1, Entry 2, and Entry 3. You must demonstrate that you have developed the skills to meet the 12 criteria determined as necessary by the state for you to continue to teach. A rubric identifies the scoring criteria by which your work will be judged. You submit your portfolio to the Educational Testing Service, through LiveText, to be scored by independent raters.
10. How long do I have to complete ProTeach?
When you register with the PESB to begin the portfolio process, you will have to choose a window of time within which you submit your work. Most people who begin my course with the Entry 1 class in the fall choose to submit all three entries by the end of June (one school year). If you submit your entries in June, then you will receive your score back the end of August.
When you received your initial residency certificate, you probably received it for three years once you were hired. If your certificate is going to expire soon, then you need to request a two-year extension, which you obtain through your local ESD certification office or OSPI. It is very important that you do not let your certificate expire before you complete your entries and also receive the results of your scoring by ETS. If you fail an entry, you will also want to have time to revise it, complete it, and receive your score. You must receive your passing score by June of the year your certificate expires. My personal recommendation is that after you have taught two or three years, it is a great time to complete your ProTeach requirements. If you allow your certificate to expire, you must wait five years before obtaining another certificate.
11. Are there other options than the support class?
As mentioned earlier, you can do the entire process online, on your own, however, it is recommended you work with a support provider. The pass rate, according to PESB (State) data, for those not using a support provider, is only averaging over the past few years between 74% to 80%. As mentioned previously, there are multiple support providers available (see question 3 above).
12. Where may I obtain more information regarding ProTeach, my eligibility, the process, the rationale, and resources through PESB?
To begin the process, you must have taught a minimum of two (2) years for a 1.5 FTE equivalency. When you register with the State to begin the ProTeach process, you will be notified if you are not eligible.
The Professional Educators Standards Board provides the critical information you need to know regarding ProTeach and requirements to complete your ProTeach requirements: http://www.waproteach.org/overview/index.html
The main website contains all the information needed regarding legal requirements for ProTeach, the entries, scoring rubrics, registration process, and frequently asked questions. Their website is: http://www.waproteach.org/entries/index.html