Becoming a High School Teacher in Florida

<p>In order to obtain a Professional Florida Educator's Certificate to become a high school educator in Florida, there are several prerequisite requirements you will need to meet. There are specific educational requirements as well as a general knowledge exam and three major certification tests. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td>Educational Requirements </td><td>Bachelor's Degree</td></tr> <tr><td>Exam Requirements </td><td>Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE) General Knowledge (GK) Test; Florida Educational Leadership Examination; FTCE Professional Education Test; FTCE SAE</td></tr> <tr><td>License Validity</td><td>Professional Certificate, renew every five years</td></tr> <tr><td>Average Salary (2018) </td><td>$54,120 per year</td></tr> <tr><td>Estimated Job Growth (2016-26)</td><td>8%</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i> </p> <h3 id="section---JobDescription">Job Description</h3> <p>Florida high school teachers develop lesson plans, tests, and homework material, grade papers, assign readings, and facilitate discussion in a given subject area. They are also tasked with preparing students for Florida's standardized test regimen. Additional duties often include supervising homerooms and study halls and meeting with parents. </p> <h3 id="section---EducationRequirements">Education Requirements</h3> <p>In order to become a high school teacher in the state of Florida, you must first obtain a bachelor's degree with a major in your desired subject area, or in education, or obtain a bachelor's degree with demonstrated competence in your desired subject area. For most subject areas, competence can be demonstrated by passing a certain number of credit hours and completing certain courses depending on the given subject you wish to be certified to teach. </p> <h3 id="section---DemonstratingGeneralKnowledgeProficiency">Demonstrating General Knowledge Proficiency</h3> <p>The Florida Department of Education requires teachers to pass the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE). The first of these is a General Knowledge (GK) test which includes an essay section, an English language skills section, a reading section, and a mathematics section. If you hold a valid teaching certificate from another US state or territory, this can be used in lieu of the exam to demonstrate your general knowledge. You can also document at least 2 semesters worth of college teaching experience or document high scores on a recently taken GRE test. </p> <h3 id="section---PassingTheFloridaLeadershipExamination">Passing the Florida Leadership Examination</h3> <p>Successfully passing the Florida Educational Leadership Examination (FELE) is the next step in becoming a high school teacher in the state of Florida. This test consists of three sections: Leadership for Student Learning, Organizational Development, and Systems Leadership. Each section is multiple-choice, except the last section which is split into a multiple-choice portion and a written portion. Besides continuing to test you on your language skills and writing competency, this test is also designed to measure your ability to analyze and interpret educational data. </p> <h3 id="section---PassingTheFCTECertificationTests">Passing the FCTE Certification Tests</h3> <p>The next step is to pass the FTCE Professional Education Test, followed by an FTCE Subject Area Examination (SAE). The Professional Education Test is a standard multiple-choice test with four answers per question regarding teaching practice and theory. There are 39 SAE tests based on specific subject areas and grade levels. Each test consists of a multiple-choice section and a written section. Any of these Computer-based tests (CBT) can be taken at one of Florida's many CBT testing sites. After passing these exams, you can request a Professional Certificate which is valid for five school years and can be renewed after this through your school district office.</p>