Taking on the career of being a classroom teacher in Florida can be a very rewarding
experience after graduating from high school or receiving your GED certificate.
The first step to take to become an elementary school, middle school, or high school
teacher is to enroll into an accredited college or university to receive a four-year
BA degree.
How to become a classroom teacher in Florida:
- Florida requires all classroom teachers to have earned a BA degree from an accredited
university or college before applying for jobs.
- After receiving a BA degree, most new teachers in Florida go through additional
college classes that are approved by the state for their teacher training lessons.
- Florida requires all new teachers to pass The
Florida General Knowledge Test and the Florida Subject Area Test to show knowledge
and ability to teach in their chosen subject or age-group areas.
- Upon completion
of accredited Education program send the following to the Florida Department of
Education.
- A $56 Processing fee for each subject endorsement
- Copies of all other certificates
if applicable
- Official Transcripts must be sent to the Florida Certification
Office.
Florida Department of Education
Bureau of Educator Certification
Suite 201 Turlington Building
325 West Gaines Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400
(800) 445-6739.
- Florida requires all new teachers to pass background or fingerprint checks before
entering a classroom. For more information
click here.
- Florida requires all teachers to participate in ongoing education
as a prerequisite to having their licenses renewed.
- Florida renews their professional
teaching licenses once every five years.
Alternative Licensing
- In emergency situations when a person has a BA degree without having taken their
teacher preparation classes yet, Florida has an alternative temporary licensing
program that allows that person to start teaching to fill a vacancy while simultaneously
accomplishing their teacher preparation requirements.
- Out-of-state teachers
with certifications can transfer their credentials into the state for licensing
if their training meets the Florida training requirements.
The state of Florida has some of the largest school districts in the United States
who are always looking for trained classroom teachers. Areas to check for employment
include Miami, Tampa, Saint Petersburg and Jacksonville. Florida keeps a job site
that is very easy to use called, ‘Teach In Florida’.