Texas Teaching License

In order to work as a teacher and get your license in Texas, you need to meet a few requirements. In charge of licensing process is the Texas State Board for Educator Certification. This process is quite similar to another state, so the main requirements are to have a corresponding education and educator experience. See below all the information that you need in order to get a teaching license in Texas.

How to Become a Teacher in Texas

Like other states in Texas, in order to be able to teach in public K-12 schools, first of all, you need to get your teaching certificate. And to earn it you must meet some basic requirements. So, you must have a bachelor’s degree, take an approved educator training program.

Generally, to become an educator in Texas, you need to:

• Meet educational requirements.
• Pass the required teacher certification exams.
• Provide the fingerprint for a background check.
• Submit the state teaching application

You can get either a standard or an alternative educator license. If you meet all the requirements, you must get the standard one, but if you didn’t take the training program you must apply for the alternative one.

There is also reciprocity in Texas for those licensed teachers who want to teach in this state. To apply for reciprocity, you need to provide:

• Official transcripts from all colleges attended
• Copy of your out-of-state license
• Prove of two years teaching experience

Once all the candidates are reviewed, the Texas Education Agency can provide a teaching certificate for a year, which you cannot renew. During this year you need to take the teacher certification exams.

For more information about reciprocity visit the Texas Education Agency website.

Finding Approved Teacher Education Programs in Texas

Obviously, the most important part of the licensure process is to complete a bachelor’s degree and a teacher training program at a board-accredited school.

In order for the bachelor’s program to be acceptable, it must be accredited by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Also, your training program must be approved by the Board.

If you have a bachelor’s degree but didn’t take the training program, you can apply for the alternative certification program or a post-baccalaureate program to get a certificate.

To fulfill the Texas Education Agency teacher certification, you should prove that your program is accredited. Online teacher training programs also need to be appropriately accredited.

In addition, the programs need to have accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). CAEP accreditation is not necessary, but it proves the quality of the institution.

Texas Teacher Education Requirements

As you may know, to get a Texas teacher license, first you need to have a bachelor’s degree. Usually, the major is in the same area where you want to teach. You can complete the teacher preparation program either as a part of your bachelor’s degree or as a post-baccalaureate alternative certification or degree program. Experience in teaching or internship is also necessary

Texas Teacher Testing Requirements

After meeting all the education requirements, to get your certificate you are required to take tests for Texas teacher certification. These tests will check your knowledge on pedagogical and your content area. Depending on the content area and grade level that you wish to teach, the Office of Educator Testing decides which test you are going to take. You will get a guide about the type of test.

To check for knowledge and skills Texas uses two unique tests: The Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) and the Texas Examinations for Master Teachers (TExMaT). Your teacher preparation program should prepare you for these exams.

Once you have met all the requirements, you are ready to apply for the license.

Additional Texas Teacher Certification Requirements

After you have completed all the requirements, you can submit your application with documents to the TEA office by using the online tool. The necessary documents are:

• Official transcripts from all colleges attended.
• Proof of completion of an approved teacher preparation program
• Passing scores on the appropriate certification exam(s).
• Proof of background clearance.
• Payment of non-refundable processing fees.
• Submission of the state application.

To get more information about the Taxes teacher licensing process visit the Texas Education Agency website.

Can you teach in Texas without a certification?

Typically, to be able to teach in Texas, you need a certificate, so, no, you cannot.

How long does it take to get a teaching certificate in Texas?

Teacher preparation programs can take up to four years to complete, during which three-year certification plans are created. The educator must receive a Standard Certification within 1-2 years of the start of the planning cycle.