The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners recognizes the need for teachers to be prepared to serve all students in Iowa, while also acknowledging that working adults may have incredible talents and knowledge to offer, including veterans and those working in skilled trades. Many of these adults may wish to pursue an alternative or accelerated pathway.
The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners recognizes the need for teachers to be prepared to serve all students in Iowa, while also acknowledging that working adults may have incredible talents and knowledge to offer, including veterans and those working in skilled trades. Many of these adults may wish to pursue an alternative or accelerated pathway. Career and Technical Authorization This is a highly successful alternative program that helps to fill career and technical shortage areas including but not limited to construction, drafting, welding, mechanics, military, electricity, culinary, agriculture, engineering, technology, health sciences, and many more. Applicants shall meet one of the following qualifications: 1. 6,000 hours of recent and relevant experience; 2. 4,000 hours of recent and relevant experience if the applicant holds a baccalaureate degree; 3. 3,000 hours of recent and relevant experience if the applicant holds an associate’s degree in the teaching endorsement area sought, if such a degree is considered terminal for that field of instruction; 4. Hold a baccalaureate or graduate degree or closely related degree in the teaching endorsement area sought; or 5. Hold a baccalaureate degree in any area of study if at least 18 of the credit hours were completed in the teaching endorsement area sought. Applicants can begin teaching immediately, and short courses in basic pedagogy are then completed online. A position offer is required in order to apply for the initial career and technical authorization. No testing is required.
Applicants with a bachelor’s degree and content coursework completed for the area they wish to teach will want to consider this pathway. General pedagogy coursework is completed during the first year of the program, and an internship is secured during the second year at full salary in lieu of student teaching. This is a highly successful alternative route program for those who wish to teach middle school and high school core courses beyond CTE areas (typically in shortage areas), and it removes the financial barrier of student teaching, thus allowing candidates to seamlessly transition from their current employment to education.
Applicants whose native language is one other than English may pursue this pathway to teach their native language. A bachelor’s degree, language assessment (Praxis II), and a position offer are required. Applicants can begin teaching immediately, and short courses in basic pedagogy are then completed online.
This is a full teaching license for veterans or military spouses who have completed a teacher preparation program in another state and wish to now teach in Iowa. Most fees are waived and there are no testing or coursework requirements during the three-year term of the license.