teaching credential isn’t available. (Preliminary credentials
are valid for the first five years; teachers must complete a
set of requirements within five years to upgrade to a clear
credential.) More than seven of 10 of those who do the five
months of coursework land jobs, according to SCOE. Among
the three in 10 not hired are participants who never apply
for a job because they drop out of the program — often be-
cause of family obligations — or don’t pass the required
tests, says program director Linda Liebert.
Those hired get a “district intern credential” and do
two years of full-time teaching under the guidance of a
SCOE-contracted coach, a retired teacher or school admin-
istrator paid $1,600 for a school year per intern they work
with. While teaching, interns complete two state-mandat-
ed performance assessments that involve compiling de-
tailed portfolios of their classroom teaching, meet regu-
larly with their coach, attend program workshops on the
weekend and meet a few other requirements. If they get
through all that, SCOE recommends them for the coveted
preliminary teaching credential that makes them a full-
f ledged teacher. “I would never want to sugarcoat and say
it’s for everyone, because it’s very rigorous,” says Liebert.
Wallace, who was accepted into SCOE’s program and
did his coursework in the spring of 2017, had teaching of-
fers from two schools. He picked Marysville High School
and was hired as a math teacher under an intern credential.
SCOE paired him with Richard Garmire, an intern coach
based in Yuba City who advanced from being a teacher to
a district superintendent during his 37-year career, filling
nearly every key position along the way.
Classroom management is among the biggest hurdles
for new teachers: Trouble dealing with student behavior is
one of the top reasons new teachers become dissatisfied
and quit, according to a survey by the National Center for
Education Statistics. Because he had a coach, Wallace was
able to bounce ideas off of Garmire about tough classroom
situations. Garmire was never judgmental or intimidating;
“‘That worked, keep doing it. Maybe try this next time,’ he’d
say.”
During one fourth-period class with Garmire observing,
Wallace was giving a test when he noticed a student in the
back, glancing at his phone. Wallace approached and quiet-
ly asked for it without drawing attention. On the phone, he
saw that another student had texted a photo of their com-
pleted test page.
Wallace didn’t want to shame the kids involved; the core
of his philosophy is “relational teaching,” creating respect-
ful connections with students, a teaching philosophy that
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