Virginia is ranked as the sixth smartest state by the Morgan Quinto Press’s Education State Rankings. Getting a Virgina teachers certifications is one way to scale through in this state.
Virginia’s student-teacher is 11:7.1, and this ratio is one of the best in the nation. Teachers have the unique privilege of seeing the impact of their work daily, while never knowing how deep that impact may reach.
If you want to be a teacher in Virginia, you really need to earn a teacher certification. I have highlighted all you need to know about getting teacher certifications in Virginia.
Can You Teach in Virginia Without a License?
This depends on the grade level you would like to teach. The most common way to teach in Virginia is to earn your bachelor’s degree from an accredited school.
The Virginia Department of Education also requires that teachers complete a child abuse recognition and intervention training course before becoming eligible to teach in Virginia.
You must also complete a state-approved preparation program that includes student teaching, or at the graduate level a clinical practicum or internship.
However, to be eligible to teach in Virginia, generally, you must hold a teaching license which must be active at the time of application.
In addition, if you are seeking initial licensure or renewal of license, you must complete hands-on training in emergency first aid, CPR, and AED certification, preferably from a program recognized by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross.
You must also complete VDOE- approved dyslexia awareness training.
What is a Virginia Teacher Certification?
A Virginia teacher certification is the process by which prospective educator gets teacher licensing to teach within a given area after completing required coursework, degrees, tests and other specified criteria.
The rigorous process for certification and licensing ensures that teachers meet certain standards in their subject areas, pass required background checks for the age groups they teach, and are up to speed in accepted teaching methods.
Teachers in Virginia are required to complete an accredited teacher education program from a college or university.
A list of state-approved colleges can be found at the Virginia Department of Education’s list of Approved Educator Preparation Programs.
Why Get a Virginia Teacher Certification?
1. Benefits:
As a certified teacher in Virginia, you can select from a variety of health insurance plans, several of which require no employee contributions.
Coverage for teachers and their families (including registered domestic partners) begins on the first day of employment. Certified teachers also receive dental, vision, and prescription drug benefits.
2. Salaries:
As a teacher with a certification in Virginia, you would be amazed as to how much salary you can be paid.
Schools offer extremely competitive salaries to newly hired teachers with certifications.
Salaries are based on prior experience as well as academic coursework, and degrees earned.
Virginia teachers earned an average yearly salary of $69,000 to $70,000 in 2018 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
3. Financial Incentives:
In addition to a competitive wage, there are additional financial incentives for school teachers who are certified for taking on new roles and responsibilities and working in historically underserved school communities.
All certified teachers are eligible to retire with full benefits once they are 65 and so far as they have worked a minimum of five years, and at any age, if their age and years of service total at least 90.
In addition to these, do not forget that in your capacity-
- You would impact positively on lives too.
- You can really make a difference in the lives of the children under your care.
- You get to smile-and laugh-every day because being with children who are interested and ready to learn is just simply amazing.
- There’s a lot of variety, and no two days are the same. This is one of the very fun things about teaching in Virginia.
- You get to share your love of learning with these young ones.
How Much Does it Cost to Get a Virginia Teacher Certification?
The cost of teacher certification varies from state to state but typically costs between $40 and $200.
How Long Does it Take to Get a Teaching Certificate in Virginia?
Certification pathways vary by province, but usually require a bachelor’s degree, professional experience in the designated subject matter, and at least a one-year teacher preparation certificate program.
The typical time to become a teacher by this route includes the original four-year degree, two or more years’ work experience, a year or more of teacher prep, and sometimes additional classroom experience.
Do You Need a Masters to Teach in Virginia?
Not exactly!
If you have a bachelor’s degree and a license to teach, a master’s degree is not a compulsory requirement.
However, if you want to distinguish yourself from the competition and get paid way more, adding a master’s degree to the list is not such a bad idea.
How Do You Get a Teaching Certificate in Virginia?
If you want to be a teacher in Virginia, your first step is to earn a teacher certification. Below is a guide on how to get certified as a teacher in Virginia.
- Earn a bachelor’s degree and complete a teacher prep program- It takes a minimum of four years for a bachelor’s program, followed by your teacher’s preparation to make sure you are ready for certification at all.
- Fulfill the student teaching requirement- Each state has different requirements so ensure you fulfil that of Virginia if you are ready to get certified.
- Earn your master’s degree if your specialization requires one- Some specialized teaching areas and educational administration paths require a master’s degree. Ensure that you have one if the certification you want to get requires one.
- Pass the tests required for teachers in Virginia- You’ll most likely need to prepare to pass the Praxis, which is a standardized exam for those who want to become certified as teachers.
- Apply for Virginia teacher certification- In applying for certification, ensure you apply for one which readily appeals to you. Virginia requires that all public employees submit to a federal and state background check based on fingerprints.If you are a first time applicant for certification, you must complete a background check as part of the initial process. Virginia would also check the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification to ensure that there are no certifications which would get in the place of your eligibility to teach in Virginia.
Types of Teachers Certifications You Can Get in Virginia
Keep reading to learn about the different types of teacher certifications you can get in Virginia.
To get certified, your application packet must include-
- Complete Initial Certification Application
- Processing fee
- College verification form issued by the Teacher Preparation Institute which you have attended.
- Your passing scores on the Professional Teacher Assessments
- Official Transcripts for all coursework.
When you have all of these, you are en route to getting your Virginia teachers certification. Besides these requirements, they would require you to write the following tests-
- The Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment which measures literacy skills necessary for you teach and communicate effectively with parents and colleagues in the education community.
- The Praxis II Content Assessment tests which you must pass before being licensed to teach in a content area or grade level
- The Praxis I Pre-Professional Skills Tests measure basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics
- A reading assessment which is mandatory for individuals seeking initial licensure to teach Early, Primary and Elementary Education.
What Do You Need to Become a Teacher in Virginia? | The Best Virginia Teacher Certifications
Choosing the right area of teaching certification to get is a very important step you should take if you are thinking of becoming a teacher.
1. Early Childhood Education Certification:
To earn a certification in early childhood education, you must hold a Virginia teaching license with an endorsement in elementary education.
You must complete nine semester hours of graduate-level coursework in early childhood education.
Also, you have to complete a supervised practicum of at least 45 instructional hours in a preschool setting in a public school, an accredited nonpublic school, or another program approved by the Virginia Board of Education.
2. Substitute Teacher Certification-
To become a substitute teacher in Virginia, you have to complete at least 60 college credit hours from an accredited university, professional references, and submission of transcripts.
You must pass a background check and also submit a Virginia State Police and FBI Fingerprint check.
You also have to complete the coursework verifying you understand the Social Services Child Protective Laws in the State.
3. Physical Education Certification:
In Virginia, as an elementary, middle school, and high school teacher, you are required to have certification.
The Praxis exam is required for this certification. Once you get this certification, it is also required that you renew it every 5years.
Virginia also requires professional development for physical education teachers on physical education subjects.
4. School Administrator Certifications
To earn a Level 1 certification as a school administrator, you must have completed a master’s degree program from a regionally accredited college or university.
You must complete three years of successful, full-time experience in an instructional personnel position.
Also, you should satisfy the requirements for school leaders licensure assessment prescribed by the Virginia Board of Education.
5. Elementary and Middle School Certification-
Elementary school teaching certification is for you if you are a generalist. It simply means that with this certification, you can teach a variety of subjects.
Middle school teachers can be generalists, or they can specialize in the specific subjects they plan to teach.
The typical grade levels covered by this certification are
- the Early childhood teacher certification (usually includes kindergarten through grade 3),
- Elementary teacher certification (usually includes kindergarten through grade 6),
- Middle grades teacher certification (usually includes grades 5 through 9), amongst others.
6. Teaching Certificates and Endorsements in Secondary Education
This Virginia teacher certification was put in place for teachers who are interested in teaching older students (typically grades 7 through 12).
In proving they are “highly qualified” to teach the subjects they do, they are required to get certifications.
They do this by getting teacher certification for secondary school and adding one or more subject area endorsements.
Endorsements qualify middle school and high school teachers to teach subjects that are not covered in their teaching credentials.
Secondary teacher certification may look like- Secondary teacher certification with a math endorsement, Secondary teacher certification with a science endorsement. Secondary teacher certification with a history endorsement, amongst others.
7. Teacher Certification for Specific Subject Areas
Some teaching careers are more subject-focused than age-focused.
For instance, reading specialists, speech therapists and school counselors can easily work with students from kindergarten to twelfth grade in a single week, depending on the structure of the school district.
To meet the needs of these teachers, certification is also often available by subject area, without a focus on a certain age group.
Some of these teacher certifications are as follows-
- Special education certification (K-12),
- Reading specialist certification (K-12),
- School nurse certification (K-12), amongst others.
8. Accelerated Certification Programs
If you want to become a teacher quickly and already have your bachelor’s degree, you can consider enrolling in an accelerated teacher certification program.
Accelerated teacher certification programs allow you to earn their teaching credentials while you’re actively teaching.
However, if you think that accelerated certification is a quick fix for obtaining a teaching certificate, think again.
These programs tend to be very intensive and require students to be fully dedicated. It can be like having two full-time jobs, but those who are committed will be rewarded by earning a teacher’s license in less time than pursuing the traditional route.
9. Special Education Certification
This is a very good specialty to get a certification in. Special education teachers are granted a provisional license within the state, so far as they meet the educational criteria.
You can get this certification in special education early childhood, special education hearing impairment, special education adapted curriculum, special education general curriculum, and special education visual impairment.
10. English as a Second Language Certification
Aside to the traditional or alternative certification route, English as a Second Language Teachers must have either graduated from an approved teacher preparation program in English as a second language.
Or have completed twenty-four semester hours in the teaching of reading, English linguistics, Cross-cultural education, Modern foreign languages, General linguistics, Methods of teaching ESL at the elementary and secondary school levels.
11. Certifications for School Administrators
To get this certification, you must have completed a master’s degree program from a regionally accredited college.
You must also have full-time experience in a public or non-public school in an instructional personnel position and complete an approved program in administration and supervision from a regionally accredited university.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Virginia teachers earn between $37,420 and $66,700. Elementary school teachers in the state earn an average annual salary of $67,610, middle school teachers earn an average annual salary of $66,870, and secondary school teachers earn an average annual salary of $68,770.4.
The Virginia Board of Education accredits Virginia teacher’s certifications.
According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job growth for teachers is somewhere around 8%. Estimates are that there will be 2,950 average annual job openings for elementary school teachers with certifications, 1,350 average annual job openings for middle school teachers with certifications, and 2,110 average annual job openings for secondary school teachers in Virginia through 2026.
If you are passionate about education, enjoy building relationships with youth, and are are interested in the challenge of leading a classroom, getting a teaching certification could be the right path for you.
If you already have a license or certification in a state other than Virginia, you may be able to transfer your license through a process called reciprocity.
No. All you need is a bachelor’s degree with a major in education in conjunction with a teacher preparation program, complete an elementary student teaching experience, post passing scores on the state teacher certification exams for Elementary Education, and participate in a mentorship program.
Conclusion
Virginia’s teaching certification can be acquired by taking a traditional route, which entails the completion of an approved teacher education program.
If you are thinking of getting a Virginias Teacher Certificate, you should totally not think twice about it and get it. It would show your employers you are very diligent and good at what you do.
It would also build this level of trust, such that you can be very easily left with children while your employers are comfortable, knowing you are imbibing knowledge on them.
References
- teachercertificationdegrees.com/certification/virginia/
- teach.com/careers/become-a-teacher/teaching-credential/state-requirements/virginia/
- education.virginia.edu/news/how-become-teacher-virginia
- teaching-certification.com/types-of-teaching-certifications.html
- halleducationschools.com/teacher-certification/virginia/
- education-colleges.com/virginia-teacher-certifications/
source of the topic’s picture (the link).
https://pixabay.com/photos/wisdom-books-education-knowledge-3071110/
