Can I apply for a teaching job before getting my teaching certification?
Plan – Get Your Georgia Teacher Certification Today
Each district makes their own decision as to whether or not they will hire someone who is currently pursuing certification. Many districts do hire provisional teachers – especially if it is in a high-needs area.
What programs allow me to work as a paraprofessional and complete a certification program’s student teaching requirement at the same time?
Paraprofessionals: Path to Become a Licensed GA Teacher
Depending on your amount of education, this pathway will look different for each person. Typically, the decision to allow you to work as a paraprofessional and student teach is one determined by both the school district and the partnering university. Each district will have their own guidelines as to how this can take place. Visit the Paraprofessional page to discover which path fits you.
What districts participate in GaTAPP? (GaTAPP is a teacher certification program for adults with a 4-year degree.)
Changing Careers to Become a Teacher in Georgia
GaTAPP is a program that is run through local RESA’s, and many districts will hire provisional teachers who are willing to go through a GaTAPP program. Some districts run their own GaPSC-approved certification program, but those vary depending on where you are looking to be employed.
There are three options to become a teacher in Georgia for someone who holds a four-year degree:
Option 1: Look for another degree program (like Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)) that will also provide initial teacher certification. This must be a Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC)-approved education preparation program with a student teaching/apprenticeship field experience. The benefit of completing a MAT program is that upon completion you will not only be a certified teacher, but you will also receive master’s level pay.
Option 2: Take and pass the Georgia Assessment for the Certification of Educators (GACE) in a subject or grade level you are interested in teaching. Apply for a one-year provisional teaching certificate. Next, search for an open teaching position. After you are hired, apply for the Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy (TAPP) through an approved provider. Once enrolled in TAPP, you will have two additional years of provisional certification to teach while finishing the teacher certification process.
Option 3: Adults transitioning from working in industry to education may be eligible to teach with a permit or provisional certification due to their professional experience. Refer to the teacher certification options for career and technical education teachers for more information.
How do I transfer my out of state teaching certificate to Georgia?
Out of State Teachers: Continue Your Career in Georgia
If your out-of-state teacher certificate meets certain requirements, you may be able to get a Georgia certificate based on interstate reciprocity. To qualify, you must hold a valid or expired certificate in a field comparable to one of Georgia’s certificate fields. The certificate also requires meeting the following conditions:
- Issued by another U.S. state, the District of Columbia, or another qualifying jurisdiction such as the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA); if you hold an educator certificate in a U.S. territory or another country, please visit the International Teachers page.
- Is a professional certificate based on completion of a state-approved educator preparation program including pedagogy and clinical practice in the base field of certification. If you do not know if your out-of-state certificate is considered “professional,” please click here to view a table of some acceptable out-of-state certificates.
Please note that reciprocity doesn’t mean an out-of-state educator automatically qualifies for a Georgia certificate. You may need to fulfill some Special Georgia Requirements before receiving your Georgia certificate, or within a certain period of time after receiving it. However, if you hold a professional out-of-state certificate and submit a complete application package for Georgia certification, the GaPSC will evaluate your documents and outline any outstanding requirements you may need to fulfill. Visit the GaPSC Out-of-State Educators page for more information and application instructions.
What districts will hire international teachers with J1 visas?
International Teachers – Explore Teaching Options in GA
Each school district makes their own decision as to whether or not they are willing to hire a teacher who needs visa sponsorship. If you are interested in employment with a particular district, reach out to that district’s human resources department to inquire as to whether or not they are willing to hire international teachers with a visa.
When do school districts start hiring teachers for the next school year?
Most school districts will begin looking for teachers for the following year as early as the end of February and on into the remaining months of the school year. However, most districts have mid-year, unanticipated teaching vacancies, so don’t wait until the end of the school year to apply if you are available to start teaching now.
Navigating the Job Search & Interview Process – Teach In The Peach
If I move from one Georgia school district to another, how many sick days will transfer?
Georgia teachers can transfer up to 45 unused, accumulated sick days from one Georgia school district to another.
How can I get my foot in the door for a teaching job?
What should I put on my resume if I’m changing careers to teaching?
I’d like to return to the profession as a classroom teacher. How do I explain a gap in teaching from when I chose to stay home with my kids?
Even if you have a gap in employment, you can still create a stellar resume to highlight what will make you a great educator. Most school districts are understanding if you have had to step away from the classroom for a season to stay home with your children.
What should I do if the job I’m applying for asks for a current reference and I haven’t shared with my supervisor that I’m leaving?
Each district has a different method for when and how they contact references. Some will contact them via email immediately upon your application submission. If you are unsure, it is best to reach out to that specific district’s human resources department to determine whether your references will be immediately contacted when you apply. Sometimes districts will let you list a former supervisor for the time being until you are able to notify your current place of employment that you are looking elsewhere. Regardless, it is best practice that you have a conversation with your current supervisor before you get too far along in the hiring process.
Should I email the principal to let them know I’m interested in a job?
I applied for a teaching job and haven’t heard anything. What should I do?
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