Purpose
The purposes of the Alternative Teacher Program are to provide districts the opportunity of securing well-qualified personnel to teach and enrich our school districts. We would expect the following accomplishments to take place:

a). The opportunity to develop capable people within our own system to ensure the ongoing vision and mission of our districts.
b). The opportunity to provide for qualified minority participants in the Alternative Teacher Program.
c). The ability to develop teaching staff in hard-to-recruit teaching area, such as English as a Second Language, Linguistically Different: Bilingual, mathematics and science.

Program Goals:
The goals and objectives of the proposed program would include the following:

a). To develop a talent pool to supplement already fine teaching staffs.
b). To develop outstanding individuals to provide enriched learning to our students based on practical life skills as well as curriculum objectives.

Program Requirements:

To be approved for a Statement of Eligibility from the Colorado Department of Education, candidates must:

a). Hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
b). Complete the necessary subject knowledge required for teaching in the endorsement/teaching are (30 semester hours in content area). An institution of higher education or the Colorado Department of education through transcript/portfolio review determines this.
c). Complete the appropriate content PLACE *(Program for Licensing Assessments for Colorado Educators) assessment.

THE STEPS FOR THE ALTERNATIVE TEACHER
TO APPLY:

• Apply to the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) for the Alternative Teacher Program – Download application off the CDE website www.cde.state.co.us (enclose transcripts)
• Take the Place exam in the content area only – Must be taken and passed before entering into the program.
• CDE will send you a “Statement of Eligibility” letting you know if you are eligible for the program.
• Use your “Statement of Eligibility “to go out and find a full time teaching position.
  

COMPLETING ALTERNATIVE TEACHER LICENSING PROGRAM:

• Come to Mountain BOCES with a copy of your signed contract from the school district stating your salary and a copy of your statement of eligibility. Also Agreement arrangement form for payment of required fee

• Paperwork will be initiated out of the Mountain BOCES to get you into the program. “Statement of Assurance” will be sent to you and your Superintendent for signatures. This form needs to be sent back to Mountain BOCES and Joy will get signatures and send them on to CDE. This needs to be done before you start teaching. Statement of Assurance form needs to be at CDE deadline by October 1.
  
• After a few weeks CDE will send the Alternative Teacher License to the teacher. This is good from September to May.
  
• The Alternative teacher will meet with Alternative Teacher License
  committee to plan 225 hours. (an example is enclosed).
  
• The Alternative teacher will be evaluated two times during the school year.
  
• At the end of the school year in May the Principal, mentor teacher, and Alternative teacher committee will meet and sign off on documentation showing you completed your 225 hour plan and recommending you for a provisional license.
  
• The “Recommendation for Provisional License” will be sent to the Principal and mentor teacher for signatures. This should be sent back to BOCES. Joy will get signatures and send this on to CDE and the teacher will receive their provisional license sometime in July.
  

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Please call Joy Yudnich, 719-486-2603 or e-mail jyudnich@mtnboces.k12.co.us if you have any questions.