Vermont Teaching Certification

Vermont Educ. Statistics

Avg. Elem. Teacher Salary	$52,750
Avg. Sec. Teacher Salary	$51,470
Teacher Retention (?)	94%
Average Admin. Salary	$83,680
Vacation Wks/Yr	15

Getting Involved...

Investing in our future is vitally important and strangely difficult. In order to fight oppression from the greedy and power-hungry elite, to better our ways of life with advancing technology, and to increase our country's overall views toward the concept of acceptance, we need education to be a priority. Learn how you can be a spoke in this terribly important wheel. See how Vermont measures up to the rest of the country by viewing the percentage of state revenue going toward education in each state. (see State Education Spending vs. Overall State Revenue).

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Learn about your Governor's views and voting record with regard to education. (see Vermont Governor's website).

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Hold your public servants accountable. It is our duty as residents of Vermont.

Help Make Education A Priority

Initial Vermont Teaching Certification

Vermont's students have ranked number one in the country for reading and mathematics scores by the American Legislative Exchange Council. Leading these students to educational success are teachers dedicated to advancing their fields and creating greater opportunities for even more students.

Vermont's educational preparation system focuses on providing would-be teachers with the skills and experience necessary to one day lead their own classes to success. If you're interested in becoming a teacher in Vermont, what are the first steps toward certification you need to take? Find schools offering teaching certification programs in Vermont.

Education Requirements

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The Vermont Department of Education (DOE) requires all candidates for teacher certification to complete teacher education programs that lead to at least bachelor's degrees.

A teacher education program gives potential teachers opportunities to expand their understanding of educational techniques, through both in-class assignments and student teaching opportunities.

Explore a list of approved teacher education programs in Vermont here.

During their preparation programs, teacher candidates typically focus on curriculum and organizational development, in addition to picking specific endorsements for the subjects they wish to teach. There are a number of different teacher endorsement areas specified by the DOE:

Elementary Education
Art
Business Education
English
Modern and Classical Languages

French
Spanish
German
Russian
Latin
Greek
American Sign Language

Physical Education
Family and Consumer Sciences
Design and Technology Education
Mathematics
Music
Science
Computer Science
Social Studies
Junior ROTC Instructor
Career and Technical Education

Agriculture and Natural Resources
Architecture and Construction
Arts and Communication
Business
Education and Training
Health
Hospitality
Human Services
Information Technology
Law and Public Safety
Manufacturing
Transportation
Engineering

Middle Grades

English
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies

Driver and Traffic Safety Education
Health Education
Early Childhood Education
Theatre Arts
Dance
Bilingual Education
English as a Second Language
Educational Technology Specialist
School Social Worker
Cooperative Career and Technical Education Coordinator
Library Media Specialist
School Counselor
School Nurse
Associate School Nurse
School Psychologist
Teacher of the Blind and Visually Impaired
Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Career and Technical Education School Counseling Coordinator
Reading/English Language Arts Specialist
Reading/English Language Arts Coordinator
Early Childhood Special Educator
Intensive Special Education Teacher
Special Educator
Educational Speech Language Pathologist
Consulting Teacher
Career and Technical Education Special Needs Coordinator

Additionally, Vermont offers two levels of teacher certification for qualified candidates.

Level I license
The Level I Beginning Educator License is the initial license teachers must possess to teach. After a period of three years, candidates may apply for a Level II professional license. Candidates who do not meet the requirements for a Level II license may renew their initial licenses.

Level II License
Experienced educators may obtain their Level II licenses by showing professional development and earning recommendations from their school districts. A Level II license is valid for seven years and may be renewed.

Examinations

Initial licensure candidates must pass an academic skills assessment prior to becoming certified in Vermont.

The PRAXIS Core Academic Skills Tests measure a candidate's knowledge and skill levels in reading, writing, and mathematics. This assessment focuses not on teaching methods or techniques, but on basic understanding of core subjects required for critical thinking.

Candidates must receive passing scores of 177 in Reading, 174 in Writing, and 175 in Mathematics to be considered for certification.

Teachers seeking certain endorsement areas must also complete PRAXIS II Subject Assessments. These tests focus on a candidate's understanding of teaching methods and content knowledge in specific areas. Teachers seeking the following endorsements must complete PRAXIS II examinations:

Art
Elementary Education
English
English as a Second Language
Math
Middle School English
Middle School Mathematics
Middle School Science
Middle School Social Studies
Latin
French
German
Spanish
Music
Physical Education
Reading Specialist
Science
General Science
Biology
Chemistry
Earth Science
Physics
Social Studies

All tests have different score requirements and fees associated with them. For more information on the tests, fees, and requirements, click here.

Experience Requirements

During their teacher education programs, candidates gain first-hand classroom experience through student teaching opportunities. Depending on the teacher education program, student teaching varies in length, but the DOE requires students to complete a minimum of 12 consecutive weeks of student teaching.

Most student teaching involves a student being paired with a professional mentor who will give them advice and guide them through entry-level teacher challenges. During their student teaching experiences, candidates gain a greater understanding of the skills and techniques needed for teachers to successfully manage a classroom.

Document and Application Requirements

After completion of all education, experience, and testing requirements, candidates are ready to submit their certification applications to the DOE.

The first step toward certification is to print and complete the certification application form. License applications take between eight to 12 weeks to process, so candidates should attempt to complete their packets as soon as they can.

Completed application packets for initial certification contain the following items:

Application Form
Oath to uphold U.S. and Vermont Constitutions
Mandatory “Good Standing” Declaration Form
Consent for Release of Registry Information Form
Resume
PRAXIS I and PRAXIS II scores sent from the Educational Testing Service
Official school transcripts
An application fee of $160 for review and processing

Candidate should submit completed application packets to the DOE at:

Vermont Department of Education
Office of Licensing and Professional Standards
120 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05620-2501

Criminal History Background Check

All teacher certification applicants must submit to background checks and fingerprinting to be considered for candidacy.

The Application Packet contains a Request for Criminal Record Check form that must be completed and submitted with all other forms. Additionally, candidates must include a Fingerprint Authorization Certificate in addition to a $19.25 fee payable to the Vermont Department of Public Safety.

Fingerprints may be taken at Identification Centers in Vermont. For a list of certified identification centers, see the information page for the National Criminal Record Check Program.

Contact Information

For more information on teacher licensing in Vermont, contact the DOE at 802-828-2445 or reach them at DOE-LicensingInfo@state.vt.us.

**Teacher Retention Sources - U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education, Statistics Schools and Staffing Survey, 1999–2000 (“Public School Teacher Questionnaire,” “Private School Teacher Questionnaire,” and “Public Charter School Teacher Questionnaire”), and 2000–01 Teacher Follow-up Survey (“Questionnaire for Current Teachers” and “Questionnaire for Former Teachers,” Table 1.01). Washington, DC.

State estimations based on analysis by Richard Ingersoll, Professor of Education and Sociology, University of Pennsylvania, from the National Center for Education Statistics Student and Staffing Survey, and therefore include a slight margin of error.