Get Your Arizona Teaching Certification
Arizona has more than the Grand Canyon to offer prospective teachers. The school districts in Arizona hold high standards for their teachers. Initial certification is provided via a two-year provisional certificate which can be extended for one additional two-year period if necessary. After that, teachers must obtain a standard certificate which is good for six years and is renewable.
In order to get the Provisional Certification, you must have a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. If your degree is not from a teacher preparation program, you must have at least 45 semester hours from an accredited teacher program for primary education and 30 semester hours for secondary education, and at least 8 hours of practicum experience. You must also pass a background check and submit a copy of a valid Arizona Fingerprint Clearance Card. Additionally, you must show passing scores on both the Professional Knowledge and Subject Knowledge portions of the Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessment (or passing scores on a comparable examination). You must also show verification of 3 semester hours or 45 clock hours of state approved Structured English Immersion (SEI) training. Lastly, you must also show that you have either a college course or the approximation of a course on Arizona Constitution and the same for U.S. Constitution.
Teaching in Arizona provides plenty of opportunities in a number of settings. Phoenix, the largest city in Arizona, has over 300 public schools and over 200 charter and private schools. Both Phoenix and Tucson boast some of the top schools in Arizona. Mesa also offers great schools and a community of low crime and reasonable taxation, and beautiful weather.
Once you’ve been teaching for two years and apply for the Standard Certificate, you will only need to show that you have passed your proficiency exam, have completed the SEI training, and have completed 45 clock hours or 3 semester hours of instruction in research-based systematic phonics from an accredited provider. To renew your Standard Certificate every six years, you must have 180 clock hours of professional development or 12 semester hours of education coursework. Additionally, you must complete 15 clock hours or 1 semester hour of SIE training.
