How important is having an actual education degree in order to be a teacher in FL?

Question

I'm currently majoring in political science/philosophy and I'm almost done with my program. I'm interested in being a social studies teacher. How much more difficult will it be to get certification and a job with only a political science/philosophy degree?

Answer 1

I don't know specifically about Florida requirements, but most states require teacher certification and a degree in Education.  I'm afraid you also would probably need some field experiences and student teaching experience to get your degree in Education.  Ask your advisor.

Answer 2

You don't have to have a degree in education to teach, but you do have to have a teaching licence which all states give to their aspring teachers.  Look up requirements to teach in FL and see what it says or call the school board and ask them.  It's easier with the education degree though.

Answer 3

It is VERY important to have "an actual education degree" if you want to be a licensed (certified) teacher.   Education was not my undergraduate degree, so I had to attend a university for 4 terms in order to obtain my teaching license (the fourth term was for student teaching).  You may have been a student for your entire life, but you need to learn not only the "how-tos" of teaching, but the laws which govern our profession.

You may be able to get a job in a private school with only a B.A. or B.S.

Answer 4

The other posters are correct that you will need to go through an alternative certification program, but I disagree with them when they say it is rigorous. It's also important to note that you can go through the alternative certification process and teach at the same time.

My wife is a science teacher (in Florida), and she graduated from college with B.S. in Geology, not education. She was able to teach for two years while she was working on her certification; once she finished all her courses for certification, she shared with me that it's actually a little scary to her how easy it was for her to become certified without having a degree in education.

As far as how hard it will be to get a job, that depends on what type of school you want to teach at. Unfortunately, schools in areas of high poverty often have very high teacher turnover rates, and you should find it pretty easy to find a job in a "poor" school. Schools in more wealthy areas tend to have less turnover, therefore making it much harder to find a job in a "wealthy" school.

Hope this helps.

Answer 5

You do not need a teaching degree to teach, but you do need to be certified.  There are alternative ways of reaching that certification, dependent on your state.  Read up on the requirements at the Florida Department of Education.

However, Social Studies teachers are one of the fields that usually have lots of competition for few positions.  Most schools, because of NCLB and the push for "highly qualified" teachers, will probably not consider alternative certifications plus no experience over applicants who have an Education degree, especially in popular fields.  Now if you were a Math, Science, or Special Education teacher, that would a different story, as those positions are in high demand.