[nabs-l] Question about College of Education Requirements

[Chris Nusbaum]

Hello All:

As many on these lists know, I have decided to pursue a career in teaching blind students. This means that I'm planning to major in special education for my undergrad degree before going to another college which has a TVI-specific Master's program for my graduate level courses. Today I visited the college I plan to attend for my undergrad work, and I was told about a requirement which struck me as odd. Apparently, Virginia law mandates that an aspiring teacher (no matter their desired content area) must pass the Math Core Praxis test along with their state's communicational literacy and reading assessments in order to enter any college-level education program. In other words, I will have to pass the test which certifies me capable of teaching math before I can even take any education classes. So I'm wondering whether any of you have had experience with this type of program, and if so, whether this is a requirement for any state other than VA? If it is a requirement, what is involved in the test and how difficult have you found it to be? Thanks in advance for your help. 

Chris Nusbaum

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