When the coronavirus shut down the country beginning mid-March 2020, it negatively affected multiple industries, and adversely affected teacher candidates, as well. Not only were in-person college classes suspended, but student-teaching was cancelled or relegated to remote instruction, and teacher licensing exams terminated, at least temporarily. College students who had waited for four years to realize their dreams of being a teacher were left not knowing what to do to ensure that they would be able to land their first teaching positions for fall 2020.

Universities, national testing companies, and school districts are all working diligently to ensure that our newest educators are prepared and have the necessary qualifications to teach this fall. In states or districts where there is a teacher shortage, some requirements have been adjusted or waived to ensure that there will be enough teachers for their classrooms.

The Educational Testing Service and other testing vendors are also modifying some of their guidelines concerning the Praxis exam, which is a required teacher licensing test in about 25 states in the U.S. Since testing centers are closed, there will be options to take the exam at another location with the same strict proctoring guidelines or even taking an online version at home.

Eighteen states that use the edTPA licensing test by Pearson altered their portfolio submission dates to accommodate teacher candidates during this challenging time. Students who registered prior to April 6, 2020, now have their deadline extended to December 5, 2021. Portfolios may now be submitted via a virtual learning environment alternative rather than the traditional in-classroom mode.
Teacher education candidates who feel they may not be adequately prepared to take licensing exams because of the pandemic do have options. Take an online class or two from PrepForward to ensure that all skill sets are covered before taking the accrediting assessment.

The situation continues to change daily as the United States adjusts to new and unprecedented guidelines for safety and disease prevention while ensuring that children receive the same quality education as they did pre-Covid-19. Classrooms may look quite different when the new school year starts. Thankfully, we can help each other prepare the best we can and adapt accordingly.