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Get Certified to Teach In Texas

Education is a fulfilling career path, and Texas is a great state for educators of all kinds. Those aspiring to become teachers must obtain a Texas teaching certification to teach in public schools. All certification providers must adhere to Texas State Board for Educator Certification requirements. We want to help you get an in-depth view on what it takes to become a Texas certified teacher. Keep reading for more information on how to get started on your journey towards your dream job.

How to Become a Teacher in Texas

Candidates looking to pursue a Texas certificate must hold a bachelor’s degree and complete an approved Texas teacher certification program. Before you can apply for your teacher certification, you must complete your educational requirements, required teacher certification exams, fingerprinting for a background check, and submission of a state teaching application.

Teachers who hold out-of-state certification can apply for Reciprocity in Texas. To receive reciprocity, teachers must provide official transcripts, copies of all teaching certificates, and provide at least two years of documentation showing experience in current the certified area(s). After the Texas Education Agency (TEA) reviews all documentation, out-of-state teachers may receive a one-year teaching certificate that cannot be renewed. Teachers must then complete the teacher certification exams for Texas during the year the certificate is valid.

Finding Approved Teacher Education Programs in Texas

The most crucial step to becoming a Texas teacher is completing an approved teacher education preparation program. Candidates who hold a bachelor’s degree may be eligible to complete an alternative certification program to qualify for certification. Teaching certification programs offered by out-of-state schools are also required to be accredited. Texas Teachers is the first and only non-university program to earn national accreditation through the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP). Though this accreditation is not a requirement for certification programs, it shows our commitment to provide the best quality of education to our candidates. To learn more about why our program is the best in Texas, check out our blog post.

Education Requirements for Texas Teachers

Previously, the most common path to earning a teacher certification in Texas was to complete an approved education program from an accredited school. Now, the newest and most popular pathway is alternative certification programs. The alternative certification pathway challenges the traditional university path, as it allows those who already have a 4-year degree to earn their teacher certification without returning to college or university. The education requirement to enroll with an alternative certification program, such as Texas Teachers, is a 4-year bachelor’s degree and a 2.5+ GPA. For those who do not hold a bachelor’s degree, the only option is to pursue certification through a 4-year degree program.

Texas Teacher Testing Requirements

Depending on the content area you will be pursuing, Texas educators must take and pass certain exams in order to get certified. The Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) exam, the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR) exam, and the Science of Teaching Reading (STR) exam are required for certification. You must take the content exams of your choice after authorization from your educator preparation program. To learn more about these state exams and to get study materials and test prep discounts, check out our State Exams resources page.

Additional Texas Teacher Certification Requirements

Candidates must send all requirements for Texas educator certification in an application packet to the Texas Education Agency office. Once candidates have all required materials, they must be upload to the online system, TEA Login (TEAL). Here is a list of things you will need to upload online:

• Official transcripts from all colleges attended.
• Proof of an educator preparation program from an approved school.
• Submission of passing scores on the appropriate certification exam(s).
• Proof of background clearance.
• Payment of processing fees.
• Submission of the state application.

Time to Get Certified? Let’s Go!

Teaching is a gratifying career option and getting started is an easy process. The best part is you can start as early as today! We are committed to your journey in becoming a teacher and we have made it our mission to help people jumpstart their teaching careers. Texas Teachers has helped over 70,000 candidates get hired and we are confident we will do the same for you. We can help you start teaching this year and help shape the future of younger generations!