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Commit to Teach in NC for 3 Years 

 

Summary

  • Pass content exam(s) required by the NC State Board of Education (e.g., Praxis, Pearson)

  • Complete all TFA requirements and maintain status as corps member in good standing

  • Teach for three years in a North Carolina public school

  • Submit verification of completion of three years by TFA & school

  • Leads to a Continuing teacher license (formerly called Standard Professional II)

  • Time Frame: 2 year TFA commitment + 3rd year teaching in North Carolina

 

READ THIS FIRST: Timeline and important information for the 3 year pathway

Click here to download important information.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Q: What does “successful completion of the induction program” mean?

 

A:  To complete the TFA induction program, you will teach in your placement school for 2 years and maintain status as a corps member “in good standing,” as described in the Corps Member handbook: “We expect that you are consistently improving your skills to be the best teacher possible for your students. To assist in that process, Teach For America is committed to providing you with a variety of professional development opportunities. While we very much believe that you should direct your own professional development as a teacher, we also believe that our commitment to our students requires that you make certain investments in building your skills. Accordingly, it is our expectation that you will attend all mandatory professional development activities (reasonable opportunities to make up missed professional development will also be available). You cannot be considered a corps member in good standing without completing all required professional development, and failure to do so can be grounds for loss of your AmeriCorps education award and/or dismissal from the corps.”

 

Q: What license do I currently hold?        

A: You have been issued a “lateral entry license,” which is valid in the state of NC for 3 years.  It is not valid outside of NC. 

 

Q: What steps do I need to take in order to get my license?

A: During your 2 year commitment, you must meet the expectations as outlined in the Corps Member handbook.  After your commitment, you must teach in a NC public school for your third consecutive year of teaching.  At the end of your 3rd year of teaching, you will request a form V <click this link to do take you to the request form> from the ENC licensure team.  We will verify that you completed your TFA commitment in good standing and send you the completed form V and certificate of completion.  At that point, you will submit the Form V, the Certificate of Completion from TFA, and your most recent teaching evaluation (as proof of three years of successful teaching).   You can work with your district’s licensure specialist to submit all of this information, or you can submit it on your own.  You can find detailed information about this process here.

 

Q: My district licensure specialist and Beginning Teacher Support Coordinator are asking me for information about my licensure program.  Am I required to take coursework?

You can find the State Board policy about the TFA “Teach 3 years” route to certification here.   This guidance from NCDPI may also be helpful.

 

Q: What type of professional license will I receive?

A: You will earn a Continuing teacher license (formerly called the Standard Professional II license), which is the license granted to NC teachers who have 3 or more years of experience.  It is valid in NC for 5 years. 

 

Q: Will my professional license be granted reciprocity by other states?

A: Reciprocity requirements vary state by state.  If you are planning to teaching in a specific state after your 3 years in NC, we strongly suggest that you reach out to that state’s education department to learn about their licensing requirements.

 

Q: What if I plan to teach outside of NC?

Your teaching license is a regular teacher license that may be recognized by other states.  However, the ‘teach 3 years’ pathway is an alternative licensure pathway that may not be recognized by other states.  In other words, the license itself is not an ‘alternative license,’ but the process for getting it is.

 

For example, if you move to another state and apply for reciprocity, you may be required to submit a form that verifies your teacher education preparation program.  Often these forms require that someone from an accredited institution completes them.  If you complete a license program through a university, a representative of the university can complete that form, since it is likely to be an accredited institution.  TFA-ENC cannot complete it because we are not an accredited teacher preparation institution.

 

If you know that you plan to teach out of state, you should call that state’s teacher licensing department and ask about the teacher education requirements for reciprocity.

 

Q: What should I do if I am not 100% sure that I will teach for a 3rd year in North Carolina?

A: If you are not completely sure that you will be able to follow through on your commitment to teach 3 years in NC, you must select another pathway for licensure.  Visit the Licensure on OneDayENC.org for information about the other licensure options.

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