How to Be a Spanish Teacher in Tennessee
In order to be licensed as a Spanish teacher in Tennessee, persons would need to meet the academic achievement and relevant assessment requirements set by the Tennessee Department of Education.
Overview of Spanish Teacher Licensure Requirements in Tennessee
In the state of Tennessee, first-time applicants for a teaching license in Spanish must earn the initial license known as the Practitioner Teacher License. To earn this license, prospective Spanish educators must complete an approved educator preparation program and pass the necessary Spanish Language assessments. The general requirements for earning the Practitioner Teacher License are summarized in the table below.
<table border="1"><tr><td>Education/Experience Required</td><td> Bachelor's degree</td></tr>
<tr><td>Exam Requirements </td><td> edTPA <br/> Praxis</td></tr>
<tr><td>Certification Renewal Period </td><td> Three years</td></tr>
<tr><td>Requirements for Renewal </td><td> 60 professional development points</td></tr>
<tr><td>Mean Salary (2018)</td><td>$50,430 (teachers and instructors in TN)*</td></tr>
<tr><td>Estimated Job Growth (2018-2028) </td><td> 9% (teachers and instructors nationally)*</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Sources: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i>
</p><h3 id="section---GeneralAcademicRequirementsForASpanishTeacher">General Academic Requirements for a Spanish Teacher</h3><p>To qualify for a Practitioner Teacher License, the candidate must earn a bachelor's degree in an approved educator preparation program that covers Spanish from the Pre-kindergarten level to Grade 12 or Grades 6 to 12. The educator preparation program must have been completed at an accredited college or university. The Tennessee Department of Education maintains a list of approved providers for educator preparation programs on their website. These institutions offer Spanish educator preparation programs from PK - 12 as well as Grades 6 - 12.
</p><h3 id="section---TestingRequirementsForASpanishTeacher">Testing Requirements for a Spanish Teacher</h3><p>As of January 2019, prospective educators in Tennessee must complete an edTPA subject-specific content assessment in order to qualify for initial licensure. For a Spanish teacher, the candidate would need to pass the edTPA World Language assessment either for the PK-12 or 6-12 level. While not required for licensure, the candidate will be required to pass the Praxis Core Academic Assessments in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics as part of the educator preparation program. As a specialty area, the candidate would also need to pass the Praxis Spanish: World Language assessment. Candidates should use the Tennessee code when registering for the tests so the results can be sent to the right agency.
</p><h3 id="section---ApplicationProcess">Application Process</h3><p>To initiate the application process for a Practitioner Teacher License, the candidate must receive a recommendation from the college or university that provided the educator preparation program. Once this recommendation is received, the candidate can complete the application process through the TNCompass educator online portal that is available through the Tennessee Department of Education website. While the candidate's assessment scores should have been added to their educator profile within two weeks of taking the tests, the candidate should ensure this is the case before applying. Official transcripts can be submitted by the college or university via email or sent by mail.
</p><h3 id="section---GeneralPractitionerTeacherLicenseInformation">General Practitioner Teacher License Information</h3><p>The Practitioner Teacher License is valid for three years and can be renewed only once. In order to qualify for that renewal, the educator must complete 60 approved professional development points from approved professional development activities. After that first renewal, the educator must either meet the requirements to advance to a six-year Professional Teacher License or lose their license. The requirements for advancement are 30 professional development points and three years of teaching experience while holding a Practitioner Teacher License. The educator can also apply to advance the license based on a recommendation from the director of their school in lieu of the professional development points.</p>