Almost twenty years ago, I began looking into the process required to become a teacher in California.  I was working in biomedical research in the Central Valley, presenting my research at national conventions.  When the lab where I worked closed, I did not have the option of moving to the Bay Area, as I had small children.

 

The obstacles I faced to enter the teaching field seemed insur.mountable. No financial aid was available for a career changer with a BA, because a credential was a four-year program and California prohibited a second BA that is subsidized by the state.  I earned my first degree with no financial aid assistance and with a B average.  However, a 3.0 average was required for entrance into a private college credential program, so I began taking community college courses to improve my GPA and fulfill the pre-requisites for a program.  At the time, community college students with a BA were charged a higher fee and had the lowest priority to register, preventing me from getting the courses I needed.  A time came when I could no longer afford to take courses.

 

I worked a variety of jobs, often tutoring children or presenting science enrichment activities in after school programs.  My heart was in teaching, but I had to settle for ancillary programs.  Then disaster struck when I was injured and facing devastating personal circumstances, all within a few months.  While awaiting surgery, I again started to take courses at the local community college.  As a disabled student, I had the priority necessary to register for the courses I needed to get into a credential program.  As a displaced homemaker, I was able to get financial assistance.  Finally, I was able to meet the physical requirements of teaching.

 

I did not receive any pre-service teacher support until I met Dr. Brenda Betts, the advisor of SCTA at my college.  I joined SCTA on the spot, and vowed to become active at all levels of the organization.  Finally the whole puzzle of how to achieve a credential in California became clear.  The ability to network with practicing teachers, and to receive current information on new credentialing requirements saved me many missteps in completing the program.  The cutting edge workshops and opportunities to learn at  CTA / SCTA conferences and Summer Institute taught me at least as much as my credential courses.

 

Nineteen years of struggle is too much time to lose when our students need teachers who are able to teach math and science at all levels.  Programs designed to recruit career changers from technology and science fields fall short if educational policy does not support them at all levels.  SCTA / CTA is the answer to this paradox.  Teachers are the experts on the field of education, and through the Association they have a voice in the future of education.  As a member of SCTA I have a voice and an avenue to change the system that kept me from reaching my goals for so long.  I will be a teacher who will make a difference in the lives of students, because ...I choose to teach.