Teaching Licensure in TN?

Question

Background...I am an Army wife and we move often. I have a BS in Elem Ed (1999). While in college I took the Praxis PPSTs. I hold an active IL license. I held a license in NC but is has expired. I took more Praxis tests required by the state of NC in 2002 for licensure there.

I currently live in TN and want to teach here. What hoops do I need to jump through? Mainly, do I need to pay more hundreds of dollars to ETS to take MORE tests?!?!?! Or will the tests I took for NC licensure suffice?

Does anyone know?!?!? Times like this I wish we had a federally run school system so teachers could move from state-to-state and continue to teach w/o hoop jumping...there's enough real work to be done! But I digress!

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

This is strait from the TN education website.  Looks like you have already taken the right test.

Earning a Tennessee Teacher License

by Attending a College/University outside Tennessee

If you completed teacher licensure requirements in another state, you must submit an out-of-state teacher license application packet in order to apply for a Tennessee teacher license.

Download application for an Out-of-State Teacher License or call [phone] to request the form be mailed to you. The application form also includes a list of regulations and guidelines regarding issuance of the license.

Please follow the steps as outlined on the application form:

Complete Part I regarding personal information, including legal questions, and sign application.

Part II refers to the Praxis Series Exams (formerly known as the National Teachers Exams or NTE).

If you were fully certified/licensed in another state before July 1, 1984 you MAY be exempt from the Praxis exams requirement for your initial license provided a comparable teaching endorsement area is offered in Tennessee. Please attach a copy of your out-of-state license showing the issue date. If you are unable to locate a copy of your license showing the issue date prior to July 1, 1984, you may download a verification form  to send to the state department of education in that state.

If you hold a current VALID license from another state, please enclose a copy. You MAY be exempt from testing.

If you do not meet the exemption criterion, you may be required to take tests for Tennessee. Acceptable score reports must be submitted directly from the college/university (Designated Institution Score Report) or directly from ETS. Click for a complete listing of specific Praxis exams required in Tennessee.

Testing requirements are subject to change. (Testing exam changes take effect on September 1st each year) Please call the Tennessee Office of Teacher Licensing [phone] prior to signing up for any of the Praxis exams.

To request an official copy of Praxis score(s) reports contact:

The Praxis Series

Educational Testing Service

P.O. Box 6051

Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6051

[phone]

www.ets.org/praxis

Part III indicates whether you have one or more years of acceptable teaching experience in another state. If you do have experience, you must document it on an experience verification form. THIS FORM MUST BE SIGNED BY AN OFFICIAL FROM THE CENTRAL OFFICE OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM(S) WHERE YOU TAUGHT. The form(s) should be returned to you and attached to your application. Click to obtain information on what constitutes acceptable experience in Tennessee.

Part IV requests official copies of college/university transcripts and a recommendation from the college or university with an approved teacher preparation program. All applicants must provide official transcripts from all institutions attended.  Please ask your college/university to send a transcript to you for inclusion with your application.  Unsolicited transcripts received by this office are returned.

Part V requests the signature of the Certification Officer or the Dean of Education at the institution where you completed your teacher preparation program. The authorized official should return the completed form to you..

PLEASE NOTE: If you have taught 3 years out of the last 7 years in a K-12 school outside of Tennessee, you may be eligible for a Tennessee License based upon our agreement with a reciprocal state. The Certification Officer would not be required to complete Part V in that case.

Note: Please attach all required documentation listed above and submit in a single packet to the Tennessee Office of Teacher Licensing. All incomplete packets will be returned to the applicant with instructions as to which items are missing. This will result in delaying the issuance of your Tennessee teaching license.

Answer 2

It states on the TN Department of Education website that you may be exempt from testing if you hold a valid license from another state. So, since you do have a valid license, and you have taken the praxis exams, I doubt you would need to retake them.

If you don't have an official copy of your ETS test scores, I would send for them, and then mail it with my application for licensure.

http://www.state.tn.us/education/lic/out...