Texas elementary school teachers must fulfill several certification requirements.
Elementary school teachers provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive academically and socially in a high school environment. The Texas Board of Education's website reports the state is experiencing a critical shortage of qualified teachers to instruct future generations. Those interested in teaching elementary school in Texas should familiarize themselves with their certification requirements.
Bachelor's Degree
Teachers who wish to teach elementary school in Texas are required to earn a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Typically students who intend to become teachers earn a bachelor's degree in education, however the Texas Board of Education reports there are no colleges or universities in Texas that offer an education major. Students can either complete a bachelor's degree program in education from a state approved college or university outside of Texas, or they can earn attend a Texas college or university teacher training program while simultaneously earning their bachelor's degree in their chosen major.
Teacher Training Program
Elementary school teachers in Texas are required to complete a teacher education program. Undergraduate programs in states other than Texas that offer bachelor degrees in education have mandatory teacher education programs included in the curriculum. Students who attend a college or university within Texas are required to attend a teacher education program either during or after earning a bachelor's degree. Teacher education programs combine classroom learning with practical hands-on experience. Students learn fundamental skills pertaining to the science and art of teaching, as well as observe classes, design their own curriculum and participate in supervised teaching.
Testing
After graduating with a bachelor's degree and completing a teacher education program, Texas elementary school teachers are required to pass the Texas Examination of Educator Standards (TExES) and the Examination for the Certification of Educators in Texas (ExCET). Students will typically receive their ATT (Approval To Test) from their Educator Preparation Program (EPP), after which they are instructed to create an account on the Texas Educator Certification website and complete the examination process.
Licensing and Certification
The state of Texas offers three types of classroom teaching certificates: the standard certificate, which is valid for five years, and the professional and provisional certificates which are valid for the lifetime of the certificate holder unless revoked under specific circumstances. In order to renew a standard teaching certificate, Texas elementary school teachers must complete continuing education requirements; they are not allowed to have any unresolved issues in their criminal history, they may not be default on any student loans and they cannot be arrears in child support payments. Renewal applicants are required to submit fingerprints, and pay pre-determined fees.
Salary
According to Certification-map.com, elementary school teachers in Texas earn $44.220 annually.
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