Get Your Maryland Teaching Certification
Becoming a teacher in Maryland is a pretty simple task. Earning your Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and completing a state approved teacher preparation program is the most important part of the process. Once you’ve done this, the rest of the steps are easy.
In order to earn a Standard Professional Certificate I in Maryland, you must submit an official transcript of your education along with a copy of your Praxis score report. If you completed your education out-of-state or hold a valid teaching certificate in another state, you will need to submit either your transcript for requirement analysis or a copy of your teaching certification. The Standard Professional Certificate I is valid for five years.
In Maryland, getting your job before the certification is important, as the type of certification given is dependant on whether you have a job in a local school district or not. Baltimore schools are broken down into two districts, Baltimore City Public School System and Baltimore County Public Schools. Both districts have been making news with their groundbreaking educational innovations that have raised academic achievement and graduation rates. Baltimore County Public Schools was recognized as having a higher graduation rate of African American males than any other large school district. Frederick County Public Schools offers high academic standards with a high percentage of students taking Advanced Placement exams and 70% going on to secondary education or joining the military. Located in the suburbs of Washington D.C., Montgomery County Public Schools tout a 90% graduation rate in a district that stresses a community-involved approach to education. MCPS covers several cities in Maryland, including Gaithersburg, Bethesda, and Rockville. Prince George’s County Public Schools is the second largest district in Maryland and offers diversity and high academic achievement.
After you have been teaching in a Maryland school for five years, you will need to renew your certification. The renewal process is handled in your local school system, but requires that you have completed three years of successful professional experience and six semester hours of acceptable credit. Your new certificate will be an Standard Professional Certificate II and is also valid for five years.
