[Assam] NRI Housewives -Teaching License and visa -

[umesh sharma]

Some NRI Housewives might like to know about it. The person below is going to be on a F2 visa (cannot work on it) as a spouse of a PhD student in US and thus wants to work as well .
   
  Umesh

  
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    Dear Nairuti,
   
  Glad to receive your email and I will reply in detail shortly.  I am working on H-1B visa as a teacher. I have a master's degree in education from Harvard but also a teacher license for Massachusetts state ( I had to take an exam for that in MA) and have also worked as a teacher in US and India. I worked as a teacher in Washington DC area only. However, a license for any state helps.
   
   --my visa was sponsored by a contractor www.sonlightinternational.com  who are very good and highly educated as well. Me Sue (Shushila) is a graduate in nursing for India's top medical institution - CMC , Vellore (Christian Medical College, Vellore) and her husband is a double master's and PhD in Geology from Univ of Florida. They have hired internationallly nurses, teachers and IT professionals from around the world to work in US.
   
  However, if you want to work in a non profit private or public   school directly -who are ready to sponsor you then -- you do not have to get in the H-1B visa 65,000 quota at all.
   
  Now your case, since you already have an education family background I'm sure it would help in building your case. It would also help if you take exams to get a teacher license (esp in math or science -- even for middle school level would be good - mine in for this only currently -- teaching grades 5-8) There is dearth of math and science teachers in US -since those who are good tend to become engineers or scientists etc - just like in India. In India almost everyone has studied math till grade 10 level -which is good enough for US grade 10 level (mostly). SO taking middle school math teacher license exam would not be difficult if you revise/review the material in advance.
   
  Now which exam to take --it depends upon which state's license you are interested in . Each state has its own license system. About 24 states accept test scores of PRAXIS -- out of the total 50 US states . Massachusetts didn't --so I had to take their separate exam .  For PRAXIS --see www.ets.org     for other states see their websites of state dept of education.
   
    Also for the teaching license exam -it generally has two components : One is the test on English communication and basic math (for every candidate) and then the subject specific exam for the subject you want to teach --- for which the skill level is that one needs to teach the subject (one does not have to take an exam for college level math [like in Indian govt teacher recruitment exams] to teach middle school math) .
   
   Also if you want to teach elementary or primary grades -- you definitely need to take some college courses (at a local community college -is better and cheaper) in elementary education. If for pre-school (3-5 year olds) you need to get a certificate in early childhood education. For higher grades no such certification is needed - but only demonstration of skill in the subject you want to teach.
   

   
  More later.
   
  Best Wishes.
   
  Umesh
  

nairruti wrote:
          Dear Umesh,
   
  Thank you very much for the information you gave me. It was really nice talking to you. Can you guide me on how to apply for teacher's lisence as well as H1 based on that? I shall be really grateful if you can send me some contacts. I also come from a family which runs a school in Gujarat and was thus interested in doing Education management (PhD) I shall be really grateful if you can help me find my path.
   
  Thanks a lot,
  Nairruti







Umesh Sharma
5121 Lackawanna ST
College Park, 
(Washington D.C. Metro Region)
MD 20740 

1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone]

Ed.M. - International Education Policy
Harvard Graduate School of Education,
Harvard University,
Class of 2005

weblog: http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/
website: www.gse.harvard.edu/iep
 		
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