How to Become a Special Education Teacher in Minnesota
In the state of Minnesota, persons may become special education teachers by satisfying the academic achievement and assessment requirements set by the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board.
Overview of Gaining a Special Education Teacher License in Minnesota
The state of Minnesota offers four tiers of licensure but the Tier 3 teaching license is the most traditional of the options. A Tier 1 license only requires a bachelor's degree while a Tier 2 license requires a bachelor's degree, enrollment in a teacher preparation program and one of several requirement options such as a minimum of two years teaching in the subject area. The general requirements for the Tier 3 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> MTLE</td></tr>
<tr><td>Certification Renewal Period </td><td> Three years</td></tr>
<tr><td>Requirements for Renewal </td><td> Training exercises <br/> Mentorship <br/> Evaluation <br/> 75 professional development clock hours</td></tr>
<tr><td>Median Salary (2018)</td><td>$62,810 (preschool special education teachers in MN) <br/> $63,030 (kindergarten and elementary special education teachers in MN) <br/> $66,240 (middle school special education teachers in MN) <br/> $62,670 (high school special education teachers in MN)*</td></tr>
<tr><td>Estimated Job Growth (2016-2026) </td><td> 8% (special education teachers nationally)*</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Sources: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i>
</p><h3 id="section---GeneralAcademicRequirementsForATier3TeachingLicense">General Academic Requirements for a Tier 3 Teaching License</h3><p>For a prospective special education teacher, a tier 3 teaching license may be earned by completing a bachelor's degree in a Minnesota approved teacher preparation program that is specific to an area of special education. This program must have been completed at an accredited college or university and the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board has a list of these on its website. Based on the teacher preparation program, licensure is given in the following special education areas:
</p><ul><li>Academic and Behavioral Strategist (mild to moderate)
</li><li>Autism Spectrum Disorders
</li><li>Blind or Visually Impaired
</li><li>Deaf or Hard of Hearing
</li><li>Developmental Disabilities
</li><li>Early Childhood
</li><li>Emotional Behavioral Disorders
</li><li>Learning Disabilities
</li><li>Oral/Aural Education
</li><li>Physical and Health Disabilities
</li></ul><h3 id="section---ExamRequirements">Exam Requirements</h3><p>To earn a Tier 3 license, the applicant must pass the Minnesota Teaching Licensure Examination (MTLE) pedagogy and content area tests. The pedagogy tests are broken into the categories of Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary. For applicants wishing to teach from K-12, they can take either the Elementary or Secondary level pedagogy test. There is one general content area test for special education teachers known as the Special Education: All Fields test. It has two 60-minute Special Education Core Skills tests that consist of multiple-choice questions. Registration for these tests can be done online where candidates will be informed of the available test dates and locations.
</p><h3 id="section---FingerprintCheck">Fingerprint Check</h3><p>In order to be granted a teaching license, the applicant must pass a background check. To start this process, a fingerprint card must be requested from the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board. The request can be done by phone or by sending an email to pelsb@state.mn.us. Fingerprint cards from a local police station can also be used if they have the sky blue border.
</p><h3 id="section---ApplicationProcess">Application Process</h3><p>To apply for the teaching license, a single application packet must be submitted to the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board. This packet must include the completed application form, the completed fingerprint card, a check or money order for $90.25 which includes the cost of fingerprint processing and official college or university transcripts in their original envelopes. The packet must be sent to:
</p><p>PELSB
</p><p>1021 Bandana Blvd. East, Suite 222
</p><p>Saint Paul, MN 55108-5111
</p><p>Once the packet has been submitted, the standards board is required to review the documents, conduct the background check and either grant or deny the license within 30 days.
</p><h3 id="section---LicenseInformation">License Information</h3><p>The Tier 3 teaching license is valid for three years and can be renewed as often as required. In order to renew this license, the educator must complete the cultural competency training, participate in mentorship and teacher evaluation programs and complete 75 clock hours of approved professional development. Alternatively, the educator can apply for a Tier 4 license by passing the MTLE basic skills assessments, verifying three years of teaching in a Minnesota school and having no improvement plans in their last teaching evaluation.</p>