An emergency teacher certification, also called an alternative teacher certification is a type of certificate that allows you to work as a teacher without having a teaching license. Most schools require that teachers have a college degree in teaching, pass a criminal background check that shows they have no felonies and have a valid teaching license. Some states have emergency teacher certification programs in place that allow those with a college degree to take on teaching jobs when there are few alternatives or no alternatives.
What States Have These Programs?
Looking at which states have these programs in place lets you know where you can find teaching work without having a license. Depending on the state and the school, you may need to go back to college and earn your education degree or meet other requirements to obtain your license to teach a specific subject. Indiana and Ohio are just two of the states in the Midwest with these programs in place. Other states that hire teachers with this type of certificate include California and Texas. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, California and Texas are home to the largest number of teachers in the country.
Requirements for Getting One
Getting your temporary teacher certificate requires that you meet some mandates that the state put in place. These requirements vary from state to state though. Most require that you have a bachelor’s degree and that you apply for your license before working in a classroom. Others will let you work before you get your certificate because those states require that you have a certain number of teaching experience hours before you can get one. You will usually need to present a valid driver’s license or picture ID and pass a criminal background check too. Some states may require that you have CPR certification also.
How to Get One
In the same way that requirements vary between states, so too does the process of getting a certificate. You will typically need to contact the Department of Education in your state and request an application, though some states now offer this application in an online format. Once you complete and submit the application, you can gather the necessary documents and information like a transcript from your college, letters of recommendation, your resume or any other certifications that you have. You can request a renewal of your certification several weeks before it expires too.
Why Would You Need One?
One reason you might need emergency teacher certification is because a local school in your area has a high need for teachers in the field that you practice. If you work as a writer, have a science background or excel at math, you can use your degree to get a certificate that lets you teach at the elementary or secondary school level. Schools may have a high need because teachers quit in the middle of the year, decided not to come back after summer or winter break or a larger than expected number of students enrolled for the coming year.
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When schools have more students than their current teachers can handle, those institutes look for teachers and prospective teachers with a good understanding of the materials taught in classes. Many states offer emergency teacher certification that allows those with a degree outside of education to work as teachers.
