Teacher Opportunities and Provisional Support
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In the state of Virginia, teachers are required to be licensed to teach and endorsed in the subject area they teach. Depending on the age and subject you teach, your requirements may vary from other teachers. A provisional teaching license provides a three year bridge connecting the provisional and professional licenses. Typical teaching licenses are elementary (k-6), secondary (6-12), and Special Education (k-12). There are additional licenses needed to teach specialized groups of students.
Minimum requirements for a provisional license vary across licenses and endorsements. Just to give you an idea of the minimums, the general requirements for most secondary endorsements include:
- A bachelor’s degree in any content area
- Some testing or a specific course to verify a minimum amount of knowledge
- A job (you don’t need a license if you don’t have a job)
During the three provisional years, you are
- The teacher of record for students
- Paid on the teacher step scale
- Expected to attend all division meetings and trainings
- You are a teacher in all aspects of the job!
These three years allow you time to complete licensure and/or endorsement requirements. There are three categories of requirements.
- Higher education/professional studies
- Required testing (i.e., Praxis, VCLA)
- Statutory requirements determined by the Virginia Department of Education
Financial Support for Provisional Licensure
ACPS is committed to providing full reimbursement for tuition covering courses required for your initial teaching license. Most folks seeking a provisional license will be on their initial license, however if you are moving from one license to another, you will qualify for traditional PDRP reimbursement rather than full reimbursement.
ACPS provides a variety of financial supports for provisionally licensed teachers. What is best for you?
Traditional PDRP
$750 reimbursement, twice a year (fall and spring or summer and fall, etc.)
Reasons this may be the right financial support for you:
- You are taking courses for the recertification of your existing license.
- You are changing your license. Example: from special education to elementary education.
Provisional PDRP
Full tuition reimbursement for courses leading to initial licensure. If you are in a Master’s program and some courses are required for licensure and others are not, reimbursement is available for the licensure courses and traditional PDRP can help with the remaining credits.
Reasons this may be the right financial support for you:
- You are teaching high school and taking courses to support the professional studies requirements (i.e., Curriculum and assessment, Child and Adolescent Development, Classroom behavior)
- You are working on initial licensure for special education and are new to the division
- You are working on initial licensure for special education and you do not want to provide the three year commitment beyond your Master’s Degree.
TOPS Prepay & Commit to Special Education
In the TOPS prepay & Commit program we are as committed to your success as you are to the special education students of ACPS. You will begin initial licensure coursework as a Teaching Assistant (TA) in a Special Education classroom. During your time as a full-time TA you will begin coursework for initial provisional licensure and take on more awareness and skill in your TA role. You will then enter your first classroom teacher role with more awareness and higher education to support you than other provisionally licensed teachers. With this option, we will direct pay for your Master’s of Teaching, skipping the need for you to pay and be reimbursed. In return, we ask for a three year teaching commitment beyond the completion of your Master’s Degree.
Reasons this may be the right financial support for you
- You are deeply committed to the area and the special education students of ACPS
- You need the financial flexibility to have the Master’s Degree paid for outright
- You are comfortable with a six year commitment to ACPS (1 year TA, 2 years provisional license, 3 years professional license)
- Promissory Note Required
*TOPS does not pay for all application fees, testing fees, or books.
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