Requirements for Charter School Teachers in Arizona

<p>Charter schools in Arizona operate independently and are open to the public. The requirements for becoming a charter school teacher include earning a bachelor's degree. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td><b>Required Degree</b></td><td>Bachelor's degree</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Required Degree Field</b></td><td>Area you wish to teach in</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Required Tests</b></td><td>Assessment of Professional Knowledge for desired grade level, Subject Knowledge Test, and United States and Arizona Constitutions exam</td></tr> <tr><td><b>License Renewal Period</b></td><td>Six years for initial license</td></tr> <tr><td><b>License Renewal Requirements</b></td><td>15 clock hours for each year of standard teaching license; total of 90 credits over the lifetime of the license</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Average Salary for Teachers in Arizona (2018)*</b></td><td>$44,430 (Elementary School Teachers) <br />$43,560 (Middle School Teachers)<br />$48,610 (High School Teachers)</td></tr> <tr><td><b> Job Outlook for Teachers Nationally (2016-2026)*</b></td><td>7% (Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers)<br />8% (Middle School Teachers)<br />8% (High School Teachers)</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)</i> </p> <h3 id="section---CertificationRequirements">Certification Requirements</h3> <p>Although charter schools are open to the public, Arizona does not require them to follow the same teacher certification standards as public school districts. Each charter school can set its own requirements for teachers; however, some schools do require you to obtain a traditional teaching certificate. The below steps will outline the process for charter schools that require you to obtain traditional teacher certification. </p> <h3 id="section---EducationalRequirements">Educational Requirements</h3> <p>The traditional route to teacher certification is to enroll in an approved teacher training program to earn your bachelor's degree. The Arizona Department of Education provides a listing of the approved teacher training programs broken down by certification area. Your teacher training program will include a student teaching rotation. </p> <h3 id="section---TestingRequirements">Testing Requirements</h3> <p>You will need to take the Assessment of Professional Knowledge for your desired grade level: Early Childhood, Elementary, or Secondary. Arizona also requires a Subject Knowledge Test for your desired area of certification, such as reading or art. Most certification areas requiring passing scores on the United States and Arizona Constitutions exam or relevant coursework, which must be completed within three years of licensure. You will only have one year to fulfill this requirement if you teach government, history, social studies, law, civics, or citizenship. </p> <h3 id="section---FingerprintingRequirement">Fingerprinting Requirement</h3> <p>The state of Arizona requires that all teaching candidates obtain an Identity Verified Prints (IVP) fingerprint card via the Arizona Department of Public Safety. You can request a fingerprint clearance card via the Fieldprint website or mail. Once received, you will need to be fingerprinted at a local law enforcement agency. </p> <h3 id="section---InitialStandardTeachingLicense">Initial Standard Teaching License</h3> <p>You will be eligible to apply for your initial, standard teaching license after meeting the above requirements. The application for an initial teaching license includes providing your official transcripts, a processing fee, and a copy of your Identity Verified Prints fingerprint card. The standard teaching certificate will last for six years and is renewable. You will need to complete 15 clock hours of professional development activities for each year of your license, with one semester hour of college credit equal to 15 clock hours. Acceptable professional development activities can include a business internship, educational research, school-sponsored in-service training, and certification via the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards.</p>