Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Secondary School Teachers
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at National University, Sacramento State, Diablo Valley College, and San Diego State.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider San Diego State, Hope International, The National Hispanic University, and CSU Dominguez Hills.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Mills College.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider The National Hispanic University, CSU Dominguez Hills, UC Irvine, and La Sierra.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Lake Tahoe Community College, Brandman, Holy Names, and Claremont.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Pepperdine University, Occidental College, Whittier College, and University of San Diego.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Pacific Union College, William Jessup University, Occidental College, and Hope International.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Southern Cal, Occidental College, Biola, and UC San Diego.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Southern Cal, The National Hispanic University, San Diego State, and Pepperdine University.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Loma Linda University, Whittier College, Occidental College, and Mills College.
Working as a Secondary School Teacher in California
Secondary school teachers are responsible for preparing students for college. They work to help students discover their interests and influence their goals and career objectives. Read a detailed job description and schools overview for Secondary School Teachers.
Secondary school teachers in California can improve their teaching skills through the Association of California School Administrators.
State Requirements
- Secondary school teachers in California need to acquire licensure from a credible authority and possess necessary credentials ell.
- Secondary schools teachers in California, especially those looking to teach in public schools, should have a bachelor’s degree and a certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standard.
- Secondary school teachers in California can take an exam governed by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
Major Industries
Secondary school teachers work in secondary and high schools.:
Major Employers
A few representative employers of secondary school teachers in California are:
- San Lorenzo Unified School
- Apple Valley Unified School
- Colton Joint Unified School Dist
- Marysville Joint Unified School
- John Marshall High School
- Oakley Union School District
Spotlight Schools Search
Spotlight California Schools Related to This Career
- Locations: Bakersfield, Costa Mesa, Diamond Bar, El Centro, Elk Grove, Fairfield, Fresno, Gardena, Lancaster, Lathrop, Livermore, Los Angeles, Murrieta, Oakland, Ontario, Palm Desert, Pasadena, Rancho Cordova, Roseville, Sacramento, Salida, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Woodland Hills
- Programs: 4 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Master, Post- Bachelor's Certificate
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Study from Anywhere at Online Schools Related to This Career
- Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Master
- Programs: 7 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor, Master
Jones International University
- Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Master
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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CSU Chico • Chico, CA
Studying Social Science (completion in 1995)
• 10/28/2011
"CSU Chico was a wonderful place to get an education. I am very satisfied with my education."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I definitely promote CSU Chico to my students. I teach at a rural school and the transition to Chico is not as difficult as a school in a bigger city. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | I was very impressed with my program. I see members of the faculty in documentaries and history videos. |
| Program Quality | 10 | Chico State did an outstanding job preparing me for the career of education. I was very impressed with their credential program. |
| Instruction | 9 | I had very strong History instructors at Chico State. I am still in contact with many of those professors. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The quality was excellent and the student made the choice to make the course work easy or difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The Social Science department was mostly book learning/lecture style. The credential program had more of a hands-on approach. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | I would say that Chico had a similar schedule as any other school. It was slightly above average. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | The school's facilities have improved greatly since my graduation. They were a bit outdated when I attended. |
| Social Life | 9 | Chico is a very close knit community and school spirit. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at this school. |
| Placement Services | I don't recall using my school's own services to help me get employment. I don't remember seeing a lot of info about it. | |
| Alumni Network | 8 | I think it is getting better based on social network sites like Facebook. I have received information through the mail for quite some time. |
Loyola Marymount University • Los Angeles, CA
Studying Education, PLACE Corps (completion in 2005)
• 11/3/2011
"My dissatisfaction with the school has very little to do with the program and much to do with the circumstances I found myself in at the school I was first placed at (a less-than-ideal situation). I think I would have a higher satisfaction with the school, had I not chosen to move to Chicago immediately upon graduating (I was very homesick for the Midwest)."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I think the program did a fantastic job preparing me for the realities of the classroom, and I had a great time meeting people within the program. The only hesitation I would have in recommending the program is its religiosity. If someone pursuing my career was a dedicated Catholic, this wouldn't be an issue I'd bring up, but faith (both belief, practice, and passing on) plays a huge role in the program, and that might cause people to back off on their interest. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | I'm not particularly involved with the reputation of one school over another, but what little I have heard about the program, it seems to have a good reputation. The Jesuit work ethic and history is well known, and the program is infused with plenty of that. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I think the program was well-suited to someone with my lack of experience in the classroom. The coursework, while not particularly rigorous, gave me a good footing to approach education. Coupled with that, I was teaching full time in an underserved school, which gave me a test by fire. |
| Instruction | 8 | Overall, the teachers were amazing, and the support systems built into the system were a big factor in my making it through. My trial by fire was more instructive than some of my curriculum, but the theory was all there. |
| How Difficult | 3 | The master's program was much easier than the work I had to do while earning my undergraduate degree. I took two classes a semester in addition to teaching full time, so the workload was quite heavy, even if the challenge itself was light. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of my learning took place while I was teaching my own classroom, not sitting in someone else's. This had its benefits and its problems, but I think it was quite effective. The theory I learned in class was often meant to work in a perfect teaching environment, which I learned as a teacher never, ever occurs in the real world. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | This was a graduate program built around full-time teaching and community living. There was some leeway depending on previous coursework, but by and large, everybody was required to take the same classes at the same times. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | I could always find an open computer on campus. My professors were always available when I reached out, and most of them were very good at their jobs. The director and administrators of the program I belonged to were incredibly dedicated individuals interested in building my skills as an educator and as a whole person. |
| Social Life | 8 | I was immersed in the culture of my program. We lived together, spent nearly every waking hour with each other, shared each other's successes and failures. I made some lifelong friendships. They reach out a few times a year with events meant to bring together current program participants and alumni. That said, I had very little contact with anyone or anything at the school outside of the program. |
| Placement Services | 6 | Had I chosen to stay in the area, I would most likely have had a job ready for me. However, I moved out of the school's area of influence, and I had no idea how to reach out and find a job once I left. |
| Alumni Network | The program is relatively new, and the alumni network is heavily focused on the Los Angeles area, and rightly so. Being half a continent away, I can't really comment on the effectiveness of alumni support. On top of that, I haven't done much to reach out to any Chicago alumni. |
Concordia University • Lower Lake, CA
Studying Child Development (completion in 1997)
• 11/3/2011
"I was pleased at the time. I wish I would have pushed myself harder."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend both schools, Chico State University and Concordia University. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | They have a good reputation. But neither is seen as an elite school. |
| Program Quality | 8 | My undergraduate education was very good. My Master's degree was obtained via distance learning. |
| Instruction | 8 | Both degree programs had good career preparation aspects. The quality was high. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Neither program was very difficult. I sometimes wish I had selected a college/major with more academic rigor. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | As a child development major, there was a strong hands-on component. But the majority of the curriculum was delivered through book learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | My undergraduate education was at a traditional university, so they offered the usual evening classes and summer sessions. My master's program was through a distance learning program, so that was extremely flexible. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | Both schools were average in this regard. This was in the late 90's. |
| Social Life | 5 | Both schools were average in this regard. I did not participate much in the social aspect of college. |
| Placement Services | I did not interface with either school's job placement or career services. I was from out of the area. | |
| Alumni Network | I know both universities have alumni programs. I have chosen not to participate in them. |
Alliant International University • San Francisco, CA
Studying Early Completion Option (completion in 2010)
• 12/1/2011
"I really liked my teacher. I think I was just frustrated with my situation."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I do not think this school provided sufficient training. I was also with Teach for America, so that might be another reason I did not feel especially prepared to be in the classroom. People who did the full training at Alliant might have had a different experience. |
| Program Reputation | I am not sure how it rates. | |
| Program Quality | 1 | The training was not good. |
| Instruction | 6 | My teacher was really good, but the program in general was not enough to prepare me. |
| How Difficult | 1 | It was extremely easy. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We had lecture, but we were supposed to apply it to our classrooms (we were teaching at the same time). | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I only had to meet once a week, and not even every week, for a couple hours during the evening. |
| Academic Facilities | I never actually went to the campus; we met at my teacher's school. | |
| Social Life | 5 | I just talked to my classmates. |
| Placement Services | 5 | It seemed average. |
| Alumni Network | I do not have anything to compare it to. |
Stanford University • Stanford, CA
Studying Education (completion in 2002)
• 1/7/2012
"There were factors unique to my personal situation that made school very challenging. I wish I could have enjoyed it more, but my focus was on studying and graduating."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend my school, especially to teachers of color. The program needs the diversity and therefore works at supporting its minority students. I really appreciated that. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | I believe the School of Education at Stanford is rated in the top five across the country. I do know that here in the Bay Area, mentioning that you graduated from the program does open doors. People understand that mostly high-caliber teachers do come out of the program. |
| Program Quality | 9 | My teaching credential and master's program proved very satisfying, because of the hands-on experience we got working as student teachers throughout the whole year we were students ourselves. Blending the theory with the practicum on such a regular basis and scaffolding our learning so we were not too overwhelmed really helped. |
| Instruction | 8 | Given my teaching placement as a student teacher, I was very well prepared for my first few years of professional teaching. I had adequate preparation in curriculum planning and a variety of instructional strategies I had picked up from my mentor teacher, so I felt fairly confident walking into my first classroom. |
| How Difficult | 9 | My individual situation attending graduate school was very unique. I had two small children at the time, and my husband was also working full-time. I had no car to use for my commute, so the public transportation route usually took me three hours daily. By the time I got home, I was fairly exhausted, and the reading load for the night would almost shock me into a coma. However, my professors and the director of the program were so supportive, and I felt that if my situation was feeling out of hand, I had the freedom to talk to them about it and feel heard. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We did our practicum from morning until 2:30 pm. That is a lot of hours in the classroom. Afterwards, we would have all the theory packed into a 3-hour class. Everything correlated, and our projects from class matched what we were also doing hands on in the classroom. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | The school had a very rigorous and thorough program. Everything was planned out to the day. We taught most of the day and then went to classes at 3:30pm, Monday through Thursday, all year long. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | I never lacked for resources when on this campus. There were computer labs and other technology resources available to students. It was ridiculously impressive. The campus itself was a beautiful place to study and it was very relaxing to walk through it, despite the stress of learning how to teach! |
| Social Life | I was in the unique situation of being a student parent. I therefore had a stricter social schedule, which was reserved for my family more so than the students at the school. | |
| Placement Services | 5 | I did not utilize any of the career services assistance programs, because of my situation of moving across the country right after graduation. I have asked for recommendations from favorite professors for teaching jobs that I pursued on my return to California a few years later. I am very confident as an alum that if I requested such things as recommendations and transcripts, my program would make it very easy for those requests to be fulfilled. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | Although I am not an active participant in the alumni network, I do know that it is very alive and reaches out to the alumni often. The mailing lists are kept current, and I am always getting something that asks to support funding for the teaching credential program's expansion. The alumni community is definitely a valuable resource when looking for employment too. |
California State University • Fresno, CA
Studying Home Economics (completion in 1997)
• 1/5/2012
"I was overall satisfied with my program. However, I think they should have been more willing to let us test out of some of the computer classes required for our credential, since I did not learn anything of value in those classes."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | No, because they are not offering a degree in Home Economics. I would recommend the university for other degrees. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | The school was one of the few campuses to offer a Home Economics degree when I was in the process of obtaining my degree. I loved all the professors in the department. |
| Program Quality | 9 | I was very happy with my educational program. I only wish they would have been more willing to work with me on my credential program, because I ended up going through National University for my teaching credential. |
| Instruction | 9 | I only rate them a nine because I don't think that you can totally be prepared for teaching until you are out in the "trenches." The knowledge and the theories will help you, but every class has its own personality, and how you deal with each class will be different. |
| How Difficult | 9 | Because Home Economics covers many areas, I never felt like I "knew enough." We have to be experts in child development, nutrition, foods, textiles, interior design, fashion, etc. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | A lot of my classes had a mixture of "hands on," i.e., foods and nutrition, textiles, and child development. I would say that we could have used more technology integration in our program. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | Certain classes were only offered in the spring or fall semester. When I went to school, they were not offering many online classes. They started offering those towards the end of my program. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Our department was small and I did have some problems trying to complete a master's degree, since I had a full-time day job and needed someone who could meet with me at night. |
| Social Life | I did not really participate in the social side of my schooling. I was a returning student who had small children at home, and I was also working a part-time job while completing my schooling. | |
| Placement Services | 10 | They had the Home Economics In-Service Project located on the campus that I attended. They had a reference library I could borrow textbooks from, and they had a job bank. They were willing to assist me with whatever I might need. |
| Alumni Network | I have never used my alumni contacts at school. I have only been in two school districts during my career as a teacher. I found my first job on my own and the second district came looking for me. |
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