Online Certification for Teacher Aides in Texas

<p>There are three levels of certification for teacher aides in Texas: Educational Aide I, Educational Aide II, and Educational Aide III. Each level has different education and experience requirements, but all of them require you to be employed by a Texas public school district before you can apply for them. Once you have secured a position, you will be able to apply for the certification online. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td> Education/Experience Required </td><td> High school diploma or GED</td></tr> <tr><td> Advancement Requirements </td><td> Specific requirements apply to advance from Educational Aide I to Educational Aide II and Educational Aide III</td></tr> <tr><td>Renewal Period </td><td> 5 years</td></tr> <tr><td> Average Salary (2018)* </td><td> $23,290 (Texas-specific salary)</td></tr> <tr><td> Projected Job Growth (2016-2026)* </td><td> 8% (nationwide)</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i> </p> <h3 id="section---WhatIsATeacherAide">What Is a Teacher Aide?</h3> <p>A teacher aide, also known as a teaching assistant, paraprofessional or educational aide, assists the teacher in the classroom by providing support to students, enforcing school and class rules, preparing equipment and materials, tracking attendance, assisting with grading, and more. A teacher aide could specialize in a specific area, such as in helping students with computers or assisting special education students. An educational aide may also supervise the students on the playground, at lunch time and on field trips. </p> <h3 id="section---OnlineTeacherAideCertificationRequirements">Online Teacher Aide Certification Requirements</h3> <p>The first step for seeking initial teacher aide certification in Texas is to obtain a recommendation from a Texas school district, which means that you first must find a job and be employed as an educational aide. The school district will then recommend you for for initial certification with the Texas Education Agency (TEA). </p> <p>Once the recommendation has been received, you can apply for your Educational Aide I certificate online. To attain this, you must have a high school degree or equivalent as well as some experience working with students and/or parents. The experience must be approved by the employing superintendent and could include previous work in licensed day-care centers, church schools, day camps, private schools, or other similar environments. </p> <h3 id="section---ApplyingForTeacherAideCertificationOnline">Applying for Teacher Aide Certification Online</h3> <p>To apply for the certification online, you will need to create a TEAL account on the Texas Education Agency website. After creating the new user account, you can select your school district, apply for the certification and pay the certificate fee. You may also need to pay a fingerprint fee and set up a fingerprinting appointment. As of 2018, the certificate fee was $32. </p> <p>The certificates must be renewed every five years, and teacher assistants can do this by logging in to their TEAL account and paying the online fee. No professional education hours are required for renewal. </p> <h3 id="section---AdvancementOptions">Advancement Options</h3> <p>To advance from Educational Aide I certificate to Educational Aide II certificate, you'll need to meed additional education and/or experience requirements. An Educational Aide II needs to have one of the following: </p> <ul><li>Two years of experience as an Educational Aide I </li><li>At least 15 college credits that are related to child growth and development </li><li>Proficiency in a specialized skill area as defined by the local school district </li></ul><p>For those interested in advancing to the Educational Aide III certificate, you'll need to have three creditable years of experience as either an Educational Aide I or II or have 30 semester hours of college credit related to child growth and development.</p>