How to Become a Teacher in Tennessee | BestColleges (2024)

FAQs

What are the requirements to become a teacher in Tennessee? ›

Candidates must be at least 18 years old. Candidates must hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited school. Candidates must have completed a state-approved educator preparation program and receive that program's endorsem*nt for licensure. Candidates must pass an appropriate Praxis® exam.

Individuals who have graduated from an accredited college or university, but possess a bachelor's degree in an area other than education and have not earned a traditional teaching certificate, can still teach in the state of Tennessee by earning an alternative certification and fulfilling requirements set forth by the ...

There are two Praxis exams that a Tennessee educator must pass prior to earning their teacher certification: the Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) and the Subject Area Assessment. Each exam has multiple testing options. You will need to choose the one that aligns with what you plan on teaching.

Being on school premises or at a school-related activity involving students while documented as being under the influence of, possessing or consuming alcohol or illegal drugs, Falsification or alteration of a license or documentation required for licensure, Denial, suspension or revocation of a license or certificate ...

(WSMV) – Tennessee teachers could soon be getting a pay raise thanks to the newly signed Teacher Paycheck Protection Act. The bill raises the minimum teacher salary to $50,000 by 2026, an increase from $35,000 in 2019.

A teacher shortage crisis is hitting districts in Tennessee, and districts are struggling to hire teachers with only weeks before school starts. One example is Wilson County, where WKRN reports there are still 75 teaching vacancies just two weeks before students are slated to return.

Earn your professional license. A professional license allows you to become a full-time teacher in Tennessee and supervise classrooms independently. Your preparation program recommends you for this license after you earn your practitioner license, pass the required tests and complete three years of teaching experience.

Analysis of Tennessee's policies. Emergency License(s) Availability: Tennessee does not offer emergency licenses. Tennessee's initial license (the Practitioner License) requires admission to or completion of a preparation program, a bachelor's degree and passage of all required content and pedagogy tests.

In order to obtain licensure in the state of Tennessee, all teachers must take and pass 1 of the 4 Praxis PLT exams. Usually, students will take the PLT exam that corresponds with their desired grade level.

You can take the test when: You're enrolled in your certification program. You need permission from your certification program to do this. You're a college graduate but haven't enrolled in a certification program.

What is the Tennessee Ready test? ›

TNReady is designed to assess true student understanding, not just basic memorization and test-taking skills. TNReady measures students' understanding of our current state standards in English language arts, math, social studies, and science, but it is more than just a state test.

The FTCE General Knowledge Test is hard for candidates who don't know what to expect. However, the difficulty of the exams depends entirely on the preparedness of the test-taker.

– Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee marked the signing of the Teacher Paycheck Protection Act, a landmark bill that will give teachers the largest pay raise in state history and protect Tennessee teachers and taxpayers by ensuring that union membership dues are no longer collected by school districts.

How much does a Public School Teacher make in Tennessee? The average Public School Teacher salary in Tennessee is $52,065 as of May 25, 2023, but the range typically falls between $43,479 and $63,496.

Candidates who already hold a bachelor's degree but have not completed a teacher preparation program may qualify for a Tennessee teaching license by completing an educator preparation program. A common pathway for these candidates is completing a master's degree in education or teaching.

As of Jun 18, 2023, the average hourly pay for a First Year Teacher in Nashville is $42,198 an hour.

Oak Ridge Schools had the highest average salary for classroom teachers that year at $66,926, followed by Maryville City Schools at $66,863. Lake County Schools had the lowest classroom teacher average salary at $43,624.

(WJHL) – The Tennessee General Assembly voted to raise teachers' base salary pay to $50,000 by 2026. Currently, the base pay is nearly $40,000, according to The National Education Association (NEA). They ranked Tennessee 33rd in the nation for teacher starting salaries.

Florida has the highest number of teacher vacancies while Utah has the lowest. Learn where your state falls and how officials are working to combat the teacher shortage.

One hundred eighty (180) days for classroom instruction; Ten (10) days for vacation with pay; Five (5) days for in-service education; One (1) day for teacher-parent conferences; and.

What benefits do teachers get in Tennessee? ›

The Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS), provides lifetime retirement, survivor and disability benefits for teachers and their beneficiaries.

Becoming a certified teacher usually takes between four to five years. But, if you already hold a bachelor's degree, you could enroll in an accelerated teacher certification program, become licensed in as little as one year (some programs are longer), and start teaching as quickly as possible.

Tennessee is the only state the National Council on Teacher Quality has given an A- grade for its policies on general teacher preparation, the best of all states. The report identifies the state's programs to increase diversity among its teachers and to meet performance standards as Tennessee's strengths.

New TN bill would give temporary teaching permits to anyone, not just teachers. The Tennessee General Assembly has a bill under consideration that would allow the states Department of Education commissioner to issue temporary permits to people, not just certified teachers, to teach most classes.

A teaching certificate and three successful years teaching experience are required by the State for admission to principal licensure programs. The program can be completed in as few as 6 semesters and requires 36 graduate credits.

How many questions do I need to get right on the Praxis? There is no absolute number of questions that a test taker needs to get right to get a Praxis passing score. This is because the difficulty of the multiple editions of the Praxis varies.

The Praxis Core tests include objective response questions, such as single-selection selected-response questions, multiple-selection selected-response questions, and numeric-entry questions.

What happens if you fail a TExES test? ›

If you fail the PPR exam, don't worry; you can schedule a retake exam immediately, as long as the date of the retake exam is at least 30 days after you received your initial score.

Waiver: If you do not pass an exam within FIVE (5) attempts, you may appeal for a waiver. This is processed through the State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) for approval. Instructions are on the Texas Education Agency (TEA) website.

The TExES exam cost for most TExES exams is $116. For test codes 801-809, the fee is $58.

Teenagers between the ages of 15 to 17 seeking to obtain their driver's license who are required to take a written test can now take that test online under the proctor's supervision (parent/legal guardian) via Tennessee Proctor Identification (PID) App.

Standardized Test Scores

Students applying for admission for the Summer 2023 and Fall 2023 semesters are required to submit ACT or SAT scores as part of their application.

FTCE Passing Scores and Pass Rate

On the other hand, the two least difficult test subjects are the General Knowledge sub-level Reading Test, and Engineering and Technology Education 6-12 test, with passing raw scores of 75% or higher.

How much does an Entry Level Teacher make in Tennessee? The average Entry Level Teacher salary in Tennessee is $39,293 as of May 25, 2023, but the range typically falls between $32,813 and $47,919.

A member with 25 years of service may retire prior to age 55; however, the benefit will be further reduced to the actuarial equivalent of the benefit payable at age 55.

Are teachers in demand in Tennessee? ›

The Tennessee Department of Education began collecting data on teacher vacancies in 2020. In the 2021-2022 academic year, the state had 1,024 vacancies across the state. “We're driving people out of the profession faster than we can replace them.

How much does a Substitute Teacher make at ESS Education in Tennessee? Average ESS Education Substitute Teacher daily pay in Tennessee is approximately $89.88, which is 26% below the national average.

1. New York. New York is among the best-paying states for teachers. Reasons include an average annual salary of $92,222 that, although below the state's average income of $107,000, is still more than the salaries paid in other states.

All prospective teachers in Tennessee must hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited four-year school. The major doesn't matter. All prospective educators must also complete a state-approved educator preparation program.

To become a certified teacher in Tennessee, you must successfully complete the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators tests, in addition to any relevant Praxis tests for Specific Licensure Areas. You also need to complete the Principles of Learning and Teaching test.

Complete at least a bachelor's degree and educator preparation program in early childhood education. Pass all state-required tests. Submit an application for licensure with the Department of Education.

As of Jun 14, 2023, the average annual pay for a Student Teachers in Tennessee is $39,401 a year.

The average Preschool Teacher salary in Tennessee is $34,970 as of May 25, 2023, but the range typically falls between $31,570 and $39,970.

If you have a passion for teaching very young children—pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades first through third—consider majoring in Early Childhood Education, an initial licensure teacher preparation program.

In the first of two votes on a controversial proposal, the State Board of Education approved Friday dropping EdTPA, a licensing test required currently of about 900 “job-embedded” candidates, who comprise about a third of the state's teacher pipeline.

Where in Tennessee do teachers get paid the most? ›

Tennessee is the only state the National Council on Teacher Quality has given an A- grade for its policies on general teacher preparation, the best of all states. The report identifies the state's programs to increase diversity among its teachers and to meet performance standards as Tennessee's strengths.

According to Teacherpensions.org, about half of new teachers take on a full-time job at 22 or 23 after receiving a bachelor's degree and completing a student teaching program. Twenty percent start teaching in their late 20s, 16 percent begin in their 30s, and nine percent enter the field after 40.

While becoming a teacher at age 40 may present some challenges, pursuing a new career that excites or fulfills you can offer numerous advantages. This transition also may not take as long as you might think and offers several opportunities to grow and develop.

Students and schools need all kinds of teachers. Your experience will most likely be an asset: part of what makes your teaching and your classroom uniquely valuable to your school community. In short, it's never too late to teach!