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If you want to become a teacher, it’s important to understand your state’s licensing laws before you begin the process. When working toward a career as a certified teacher in Delaware, you can choose from several paths to licensure. Learning about the requirements of each path will help you to prepare for success as a teacher in Delaware.
Requirements for certified teachers in Delaware
The Delaware Department of Education states that teachers applying for an initial Delaware teaching certification must have at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and a passing score on the PRAXIS Core Academic Skills for Educators or a similar examination of general knowledge. Candidates must also have completed a student teaching program, have one year of teaching experience, or be enrolled in an alternative licensure program at the time of their application. Certain certificates may also require a Praxis II or ACTFL.
Most Delaware teachers apply for licensure after obtaining a bachelor’s degree in education, which usually includes a student teaching program. If you choose this route to licensure, you will choose a specialty early in your educational career, such as elementary education or high school mathematics. These choices typically affect the type of license you will apply for when you finish the program.
After you obtain your initial teaching license, it will be valid for three years. During this time, you must participate in professional development and mentoring programs. When three years have passed, you can apply for a continuing license. Continuing licenses must be renewed every five years, and renewal typically requires proof of professional development.
Delaware jobs for licensed teachers
Several different types of Delaware teaching certification are available. Below is a list of the licenses available in Delaware, along with their requirements.
- Initial license: You are a beginning teacher with a bachelor’s degree that has completed an appropriate teacher education program and passed the necessary exams.
- Continuing license: You have completed your three years of initial licensure and are ready for a standard teaching license.
- Advanced licenses: You are a seasoned educator with National Board Certification.
- Standard certificate: You are a teacher with an initial, continuing or advanced license. Standard certification shows that you are competent to teach a specific subject area.
- Emergency certificate: You are a teacher with an initial, continuing or advanced license that does not meet the qualifications for a standard certificate. The emergency certificate allows you to teach in that subject area while completing the requirements.
If you plan to teach a subject designated as a Teacher Shortage Area (TSA) by the U.S. Department of Education, you might be eligible for student loan deferment or cancellation. The following TSAs have been approved for Delaware for the 2015-2016 school year:
- Administrators
- Art
- Bilingual Education/English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
- Business
- Science (Secondary)
- Special Education
A full and current list of TSAs for each state is available via the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education.
Teaching license reciprocity in Delaware
Delaware participates in a teaching license reciprocity agreement with the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC). When you apply for a teaching certificate in one state using an existing license from another, the “destination state” is actually recognizing your credentials as verification that you are qualified to teach. You must still meet all requirements before you can teach there.
Fortunately, the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement for Educator Licensure streamlines this application process and expedites the goal of teaching in your new state. For more information, see Teaching License Reciprocity Explained.
Disclaimer: Licensing requirements are subject to change. Please visit your state board of education to check for recent revisions to teaching license requirements.
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Categorized as: Teaching License