COE Teacher Certification

The good news is you are eligible to apply for a Florida Professional Teaching Certificate that is valid for five years and renewable. If you did not pass all of your Florida Teacher Certification Exams, you will need to do so before you can be issued a professional certificate.

To begin the Florida certification process go to http://www.fldoe.org/edcert/steps.asp .

After the Department of Education has received and evaluated your completed application, you will receive an Official Statement of Status of Eligibility. This allows you to be hired by a school district. Once you are hired, you will need to submit fingerprints for a background check. When your fingerprints have cleared, you will receive your Florida Professional Teaching Certificate.

If you are not going to teach in Florida, you may still be able to obtain a Florida Professional Certificate which may make certification in another state easier. Go to http://www.fldoe.org/edcert/step4.asp and read the section on “Individuals Not Seeking Florida Employment.” NASDTEC Knowledgebase is the most comprehensive source of information on Teacher Education and Certification in the United States and Canada.

The good news is you have completed all of the teaching coursework that you need in order to apply for a temporary teaching certificate in Florida and you have three years to meet the other requirements towards a five year, renewable Professional Teaching Certificate.

The first thing you need to do is decide what you want to teach. Go to www.fldoe.org/edcert/subjlist.asp to learn more about what subjects and grade levels are available in Florida.

Once that is done, you can begin the process toward a temporary certificate by going to http://www.fldoe.org/edcert/steps.asp.

After the Department of Education has received and evaluated your completed application, you will receive an Official Statement of Status of Eligibility. This tells you what more you need to do to get a Professional Certificate and it allows you to be hired by a school district. Once you are hired, you will need to submit fingerprints for a background check. After your fingerprints have been cleared, you will receive a Temporary Teaching Certificate that is valid for three years.

Florida offers a way for people who do not have education or experience in teaching to become certified teachers. Although it is not the best route to becoming an excellent teacher, it is preferable for some people. The College of Education at Florida Gulf Coast University offers several options for people choosing this route. Before we discuss those options, there are several things you need to do.

The first thing you need to do is decide what you want to teach. Go to www.fldoe.org/edcert/subjlist.asp to learn more about what subjects and grade levels are available in Florida.

Once that is done, you can begin the process toward a temporary certificate by going to http://www.fldoe.org/edcert/steps.asp.

After the Department of Education has received and evaluated your completed application, you will receive an Official Statement of Status of Eligibility. This tells you what more you need to do to get a Professional Certificate and it allows you to be hired by a school district. Once you are hired, you will need to submit fingerprints for a background check. After your fingerprints have been cleared, you will receive a Temporary Teaching Certificate that is valid for three years.

The Official Statement of Status of Eligibility is critical to what you decide to do next. Even if you don’t get hired right away, the statement tells you what courses and tests you will need. For information on testing go to www.fl.nesinc.com. The College of Education offers core courses specifically designed for non-education majors who already have a bachelor’s degree or higher. All of these courses are at the graduate level. Click here for more information on the course by course route.

Another route available to you is the Educator Preparation Institute (called TIP at Florida Gulf Coast University). This is a Florida state approved program and leads directly to a five year, renewable Professional Teaching Certificate. For more information on TIP, please visit the TIP website.

Finally, you may consider a graduate degree in education. For more information on what we offer, go to http://coe.fgcu.edu/ and look under graduate programs.

If you meet the above qualifications, becoming certified to teach in Florida is a fairly simple process. Click on http://www.fldoe.org/edcert/level1.asp and follow the instructions.

It is to your advantage to apply for Florida certification in the same subject area as your current out-of-state certification or license. If you wish to add additional subjects onto your Florida Professional Teaching Certificate after you receive it that can be accomplished by passing Florida Teacher Certification Exams (FTCE). Go to http://www.fldoe.org/asp/ftce/for more information about the exams.