Teaching is an essential and rewarding vocation, but the circuitous route to earning a certificate can be enough to scare away many would-be mentors. For prospective educators in the Sunshine State, this article will alleviate some of that fear by explaining how to become a teacher in Florida.
While there are some exceptions and alternative routes (discussed in later sections), the general requirements for a standard professional certificate include a bachelor's degree, completion of a teacher preparation program, passing scores on certification exams, and a background check. Florida also offers a temporary certificate for educators who don't meet all of these qualifications.
Florida Temporary Certificate
The temporary teaching certificate in Florida allows individuals to start teaching while they work towards meeting all the requirements of a professional certificate. Candidates must:
Earn at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
Pass a FTCE Subject Area Exam in their subject, or have appropriate subject area coursework—30 semester hours for many subjects—with at least a 2.5 GPA
Attain employment with a Florida school and pass a background check
The temporary teaching certificate in Florida is valid for 3 years and is nonrenewable.
Florida Professional Certificate
This is the highest Florida teaching certification credential. It requires candidates to:
Earn at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
Complete a teacher preparation program from an accredited institution
Pass the FTCE Professional Education Test
Pass the FTCE General Knowledge Test
Pass the FTCE Subject Area Exam for their subject
Attain employment with a Florida school and pass a background check
This certificate is valid for 5 years and is renewable.
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Teacher preparation programs are a common way for new teachers to meet the Florida teacher certification requirements. These programs provide teacher candidates with coursework and classroom experience that readies them for education careers.
To ensure the quality of the state's educators, the Florida Department of Education requires institutions that offer teacher preparation programs to be accredited by either a regional accrediting association—such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)—or a national accrediting body recognized by the US Department of Education—such as the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
There are three different types of teacher preparation programs in Florida:
Initial Teacher Preparation Programs — these are offered by Florida colleges and universities. Graduates typically earn bachelor's or master's degrees in education in the specific subject area they plan to teach. Some of the best institutions offering these programs are state universities.
Educator Preparation Institutes (EPI) — these allow individuals with postsecondary degrees in non-education fields to enroll in coursework that qualifies them for professional certification.
Professional Development Certification Programs — these programs are offered by Florida public school districts and charter schools.
All teachers in Florida are required to have at least a bachelor's degree. For a temporary certificate, this degree should include coursework in the specific teaching subject area—typically around 30 semester hours, depending on the subject.
Individuals can also meet subject area Florida teacher certification requirements by passing the FTCE Subject Area Examination or completing a course from the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE). Professional certificate candidates will have to complete coursework or training in pedagogical practice from an accredited teacher preparation provider.
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Florida requires all K-12 teachers to sign up for Florida Teacher Certification Exam. These computer-based tests consist mostly of multiple-choice questions, though several require written responses or oral components. FTCEs ensure that teacher candidates have the necessary skills to be effective Florida educators.
Florida teacher certification requirements typically call for passing scores on three different assessments: the General Knowledge Test, the Professional Education Test, and a Subject Area Exam corresponding to the prospective educator's teaching area.
Individuals may be exempt from some or all of these exams if they hold a certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), hold a valid teaching certificate from another state, or have sufficient and relevant teaching experience (information about specific exemptions can be found on the FLDOE website). FTCE official score report are valid for certification for 10 years.
FTCE General Knowledge (GK) Test
The FTCE General Knowledge test assesses fundamental skills in certain core competencies that are essential for educators. It consists of four different subtests.
The Essay Subtest is a single written response question measuring the test-taker's ability to compose effective written communication with clear, well-formulated arguments.
The English Language Skills Subtest assesses the candidate's ability to identify proper language structure and grammar, utilize vocabulary, and employ English language conventions such as proper spelling, tense agreement, and punctuation.
The Reading Subtest measures an individual's ability to identify key ideas and conventions of craft in a given written passage.
The Mathematics Subtest will assess the test-taker's knowledge of fundamental mathematical concepts relating to arithmetic, geometry and measurement, algebra, probability, and statistics and data interpretation.
The Essay subtest requires a score of 8 out of 12 points to pass. The three other subtests are 40 multiple-choice questions each, and each requires scaled scores of 200 to pass.
FTCE Professional Education (PEd) Test
The FTCE Professional Education test consists of approximately 100 multiple-choice questions that assess the test-taker's command of pedagogical concepts and best-practices. It is a computer-based test with a 2 hour and 30-minute duration. Some of the skills measured include designing a lesson plan, communicating complex concepts to students, and knowledge of different assessment types and their uses. A scaled score of 200 is required to pass.
FTCE Subject Area Examinations (SAE)
SAEs correspond to a teacher candidate's specific subject area. They have a variety of different formats, but most are computer-based, multiple-choice tests that last 150-minutes and require scaled scores of 200 to pass. Some SAEs have written responses (e.g., the FTCE English 6-12) and others have oral components (e.g., most SAEs for foreign language teachers). Here is a list of FTCE SAEs required for specific teaching subjects and levels:
Agriculture (6-12)
Art (K-12)
Biology (6-12)
Business Education (6-12)
Chemistry (6-12)
Computer Science (K-12)
Drama (6-12)
Earth-Space Science (6-12)
Educational Media Specialist (PK-12)
Elementary Education (K-6)
English (6-12)
Middle Grades English (5-9)
English to Speakers of Other Languages (K-12)
Exceptional Student Education (K-12)
Family and Consumer Science (6-12)
French (K-12)
German (K-12)
Latin (K-12)
Spanish (K-12)
Middle Grades General Science (5-9)
Health (K-12)
Deaf or Hard of Hearing (K-12)
Humanities (K-12)
Technology Education (6-12)
Marketing (6-12)
Middle Grades Mathematics (5-9)
Mathematics (6-12)
Music (K-12)
Physical Education (K-12)
Physics (6-12)
Prekindergarten/Primary Education (Age 3-Gr 3)
Preschool Education (Birth Age 4)
Middle Grades Social Science (5-9)
Social Science (6-12)
Visually Impaired (K-12)
Reading (K-12)
Speech-Language Impaired (K-12)
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As part of Florida teacher certification requirements, all teacher candidates are required to submit their fingerprints to the Bureau of Educator Certification. The Bureau uses fingerprints to check for any criminal convictions in the local records of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the national records of the FBI. Certain offenses may terminate an individual's candidacy.
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While completing a Florida teacher preparation program is perhaps the most traditional route to a credential, the Department of Education recognizes several paths to a Florida alternative teaching certification. Individuals can:
Earn a valid certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) in a subject area comparable to one taught in Florida schools.
Earn a valid certificate from the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE) in a comparable subject area.
Earn a graduate degree in a STEM field.
Graduate from a regionally accredited out-of-state teacher preparation program.
Enroll in the College Professional Training Option (PTO) , an alternative program offered by several postsecondary schools in Florida.
Florida Teacher Licensing Application Procedure
After meeting education and testing requirements, candidates can start the application process by registering an account with the FLDOE online licensing service. Through this account, candidates will:
Complete an initial onboarding process and start a new application — this will require providing some personal information, such as a valid social security number
Submit payment for a non-refundable processing fee — $75 for either a temporary certificate or a professional certificate
Submit official transcripts showing completion of a bachelor's degree in a relevant subject area and/or teacher preparation program
Applicants will then receive an Official Statement of Eligibility (SOE) which determines if they are eligible to receive their Florida teacher certification. If deemed eligible, the prospective teacher may seek employment in a Florida school, submit fingerprints for a background check, and receive their certificate. A positive SOE is valid for 3 years.
Certification in Florida for Out-of-State Educators
Florida teacher certification reciprocity policies allow certified out-of-state teachers to apply for a Florida certificate with little-to-no additional prerequisites. The state recognizes two certificates for out-of-state educators:
a standard certificate issued by another state — these must be in a subject area comparable to one taught in Florida, require the same education level as FLDOE requires, and must be currently valid (i.e., not expired)
an NBPTS certificate — which also must be in a comparable subject area and currently valid.
Florida is a member of the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement, a pact between US states to recognize teaching credentials across borders.
Florida Educator Professional Development and Advancement
Once employed, Florida teachers may advance their credentials by:
Adding a subject or endorsement — for many subjects, this requires only a passing score on a subject area exam, though it may require additional postsecondary coursework for some.
Upgrading from a temporary to a professional certificate — new teachers can upgrade within the three-year validity period of their temporary certificate by meeting all the coursework and testing requirements for a professional certificate.
Florida teacher certification renewal — teachers with professional certificates must renew their credentials every five years. To be approved for renewal, they must take at least six semester hours of college credit within the validity period of their professional certificate.
Florida Teacher Employment Outlook & Salary
According to the FLDOE, there are over 4,000 public schools in Florida. These schools employ 176,342 teachers who serve a total student population of over 2.8 million. These numbers set the state's student-teacher ratio at about 16:1. The following table, created using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, illustrates the Florida teacher outlook for wages and employment in 2021.
Level
# Employed
Mean Annual Wage
Kindergarten
8,160
$57,920
Elementary
73,840
$57,520
Middle School
34,530
$59,820
High School
48,600
$61,530
Areas of Teacher Shortage in Florida
The U.S. Department of Education has identified teacher shortage areas in the following subject areas for Florida K-12 schools:
English
English as a Second Language
Mathematics
General Science
Physical Science
Special Education — Exceptional Children
Reading
A recent FLDOE report projects that these subject areas will account for 3,743 teacher vacancies in 2022-23, which forecasts a sizable number of Florida teacher employment opportunities in the coming years.
Retirement Benefits for Florida Teachers
Florida educators have two retirement plan options:
Florida Retirement System Investment Plan — similar to a 401k, this plan sets aside a percentage of a teacher's salary, which is then matched by their employer and invested. Teachers may start contributing to their Investment Plan after one full year of teaching.
Florida Retirement System Pension Plan — under this plan, benefits are determined by the individual teacher's average salary and years of service. Teachers qualify for a pension after 8 years of employment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I be a teacher without an education degree?
A person can be a teacher without an education degree. Florida offers a temporary teaching certificate for individuals with bachelor's degrees in non-education fields. A temporary certificate holder can start teaching while taking courses in educator preparation on the side.
How do I get certified to teach in Florida?
Certification requirements include a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university, completion of a teacher preparation program, passing scores on Florida Teaching Certification Examinations, and a background check.
Does the Florida Department of Education offer alternative licensure certification routes for teachers?
Alternative routes to certification are available to individuals with certificates from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) or the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE).
What tests do you need to take to become a teacher in Florida?
Florida requires teachers to earn passing scores on Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE). A teacher with a standard professional certificate will be required to pass three FTCEs: the General Knowledge Test, the Professional Education Test, and a Subject Area Examination.
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