Become a Teacher in Minnesota

To earn your Minnesota teaching credential you will have to complete the required amount of undergraduate coursework and standardized tests, as well as an accredited certification program. The teaching credential issued to beginning teachers who have completed an accredited teacher preparation program is the Tier 1 license, which can be renewed 3 times, each for a 1 year period. Learn more about earning your teaching credential on the Minnesota Department of Education’s licensing page.

Visit Teach.com for additional details about earning your teaching credential.

Licensure via Portfolio is a non-traditional option for earning a Minnesota teaching license. The portfolio provides an alternative process for evaluating the knowledge, skills and competencies of individuals seeking a license who have not completed an approved teacher preparation program in the licensure field being sought.

For more information about different types of certification, visit the Teach Minnesota certification page.

Interstate reciprocity is a program that allows teachers certified in one state to teach in another state. To find out which other state teaching licenses can be used in Minnesota, visit the Teach.com reciprocity page. Or, for more specific questions about your situation, contact the Minnesota Department of Education.

To find out what other state teaching licenses can be used in Minnesota, check out our Teacher Certification Reciprocity page on Teach.com.

Many public school districts in Minnesota post teaching vacancies on their websites, including Minneapolis Public Schools.

The Minnesota Department of Education runs an online Teacher Recruitment Center with up-to-date teaching positions and the ability to create a profile and post your resume online.

Learn more about finding a teaching job on Teach.com.

In Minnesota,  teachers earn an average of around $64,960 per year, according to 2019 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Minnesota does not provide differential pay for teachers in high-needs schools or shortage subjects. Learn more about teacher salaries on Teach.com.

Learn more about teacher salaries on Teach.com.

Minnesota public school employees are covered by Minnesota’s State Employee Group Insurance Plan, which includes several health coverage options. Teachers are eligible once they reach the age for full social security benefits but no later than the age of 66 for retirement benefits administered by the Minnesota Teachers Retirement Association. 

Learn more about benefits for teachers on Teach.com.

A teacher shortage occurs when there are not enough teachers in key subject areas, which has been partly caused by years of teacher layoffs during the Great Recession, a growing student population and fewer people entering teacher preparation programs, according to the Learning Policy Institute.

The following is a partial list of teacher shortage areas in Minnesota for the 2020-21 school year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Minnesota residents are eligible for the Applegate/Jackson/Parks Future Teacher Scholarship as well as the TEACH Grant, a grant which gives financial aid to students in return for an agreement to teach in a high-need school.

Learn more about how to finance your Master’s degree on Teach.com.

Minnesota offers a standard range of professional development opportunities, such as conferences and technology training. Additionally, the Minnesota Department of Education runs an induction and mentoring program for new teachers. Minnesota requires completion of approved professional development activities during each licensing period, including activities relating to certain areas such as behavioral intervention and reading preparation. Specific requirements vary by licensing tier.

It is no longer enough to just have years of experience in teaching. After No Child Left Behind and other academic quantification measures, the careers of teachers increasingly depend on their results in the classroom. A master’s degree in the field of education will give you more educational theory and classroom skills, as well as more hands-on student teaching experience with a mentor. After a Master’s program, you may be able to achieve better results in the classroom and have more job security and higher pay.

Learn more about the benefits of a Master of Arts in Teaching vs. Master of Education on Teach.com.