Do UK Teaching Qualifications convert to US?

Hi there,

My fiance and I are planning to relocate to the US (most likely CA) fall of 2012 by which time we will have been married a year and a half, and should have all of his immigration papers (as my spouse) set. I've been living in the UK for 5 1/2 years and have plenty of worries about moving back to the states, but one of the big concerns for us is work (and health insurance!) FH is a secondary school teacher specializing in dance. He is an amazing, caring teacher and really goes the extra distance for his kids, but I'm really worried how his teaching qualifications will traslate into the US. Does anyone know what or how much re-training school teachers from the UK need to work in the US? I know each state has different teaching credentials, so I'm assuming he will need at the very least his state credentials. Has anyone done this or know what is involved?

Many thanks!

I originally trained to be a teacher in CA. I obtained my teaching credential (that has since expired) and have a BA in Diversified Liberal Arts. Once I finished my BA I was eligible to substitute teach (like a supply teacher) but I would not have been eligible to be hired as a full time teacher until I had my credential.

This website is a wonderful resource and should be helpful: http://www.teachcalifornia.org/

Many teaching credentials don't even transfer from state to state. Sigh. For California, there are series of requirements, some of which can be fulfilled with tests, but I'd do some investigating as your husband may need to take some classes to flesh out his credential to a full physical education one, or something.  Teaching jobs are still sort of hard to come by in many parts of CA (my entire family teaches), so I would try and figure out as many things as possible he could qualify to teach! He also may want to look at private dance academies as many of them might have different requirements.
S
If you can get an idea of what courses you need, he may be able to take some of them through the open university or something. Just be aware that they can be very picky (I almost didn't end up with a credential because my US history class (taken in the US) had been called "history and government"!)
Good luck. I think teaching is one of the best jobs ever!

I'd start by looking at the information for Out-of-Country Prepared Candidates from the California State Government Commission on Teacher Credentialing:

http://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/CREDS/secondary-teaching.html

Dance isn't on the list, but physical education is.

http://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/leaflets/cl870.pdf

Looks like he would need Foreign Transcript Evaluation:

http://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/leaflets/cl635.pdf

HTH.

P.s. If I were you, if I hadn't already, I would naturalise as British before I left the UK to reduce the possibility of any problems with future UK returns by reducing immigration hassles. You never know what happens in this life. Just my 2p. 

Thanks everyone; this is really helpful!!