Become a Teacher in Connecticut
CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
165 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, CT 06145
(860) 713-6500
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Steps to Becoming a Teacher in Connecticut
Important Note: Education licensure requirements, statistics and other information are subject to change. Teach.com makes its best effort to keep content accurate; however, the official sources are the state education departments. Please confirm licensing requirements with your state before applying for licensure or renewal. (Last update: 04/27/2020)
All states require that certified teachers have at least a Bachelor’s degree. In addition, Connecticut candidates must successfully complete a state-approved educator program of general academic and professional education at a regionally accredited college or university.
Teacher Certification Programs can be taken online or on-site. They typically include an educational theory and classroom skills seminar and a fieldwork component of student teaching in the area. A list of accredited teacher preparation programs can be found on the Connecticut Department of Education website.
Connecticut requires the Praxis II Subject Test for your subject area to show subject area competence. Foreign Language teachers are required to complete the ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) Proficiency Assessments. Some specializations require the Pearson Foundations of Reading Test, the Pearson Reading Specialist Test or the Pearson Early Childhood Test.
You can learn more about the Praxis exams by visiting Teach.coms’ Ultimate Guide to the Praxis Exams.
To become certified as a teacher in Connecticut, you will need to complete the appropriate number of college credit hours, a teacher preparation course, and the standardized tests specified above. If you have a teaching credential from another state, you may be able to use an interstate reciprocity program to become certified in Connecticut. Visit the Connecticut Department of Education Bureau of Certification page to learn more about getting your Teaching Credential in Connecticut.
Connecticut has three levels of certification: the Initial Educator Certificate (3 years), the Provisional Educator Certificate (valid for 8 years), issued after at least 10 months of “appropriate successful teaching experience” in a Connecticut public school or 30 months of equivalent experience elsewhere, and the Professional Educator Certificate (renewable every 5 years), issued after at least 30 months of successful teaching in a Connecticut public school and completion of additional course requirements.
Learn more about getting your teaching credential on Teach.com.
Discover an 8-week Online Teaching Short Course from Harvard's Bok Center
Higher Education Teaching Certificate
The Higher Education Teaching Certificate online short course aims to give you the opportunity to engage deeply with and reflect on your teaching practices, portfolio, and journey in the higher education (HE) field. Loosely based on the in-person seminar program currently offered by Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, and in association with HarvardX, this course gives you the opportunity to explore the focus areas of pedagogy, course and assessment design, professional communication, language and culture of the classroom, and reflections on teaching – entirely online, from anywhere in the world.
Alternative Certification in Connecticut
Connecticut offers the Alternate Route to Teacher Certification, a program created in 1988 to encourage career professionals to join the teaching workforce. The program requires a Bachelor’s degree with a major in the desired subject. The program can be taken either full-time in the summer, or on weekends between October and May.
The Troops to Teachers program provides an alternative route for veterans who would like to transition to a teaching career.
Connecticut Teacher Certification Information & Links
Transferring Your Certification
Certification Reciprocity in Connecticut
Interstate reciprocity is a program that allows teachers certified in one state to teach in another state. Connecticut, however, does not have reciprocity with any other state. Connecticut participates in the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) Interstate Agreement (NIA). Under this agreement, it can waive specific coursework requirements and accept completion of a state-approved educator preparation program at a regionally accredited college or university from another state, or a minimum of 30 months of successful full-time experience under the other state’s valid educator certificate (at least equivalent to a Connecticut Initial Educator Certificate).
More information about this arrangement can be found on the Connecticut Department of Education website. For more specific questions about your situation, contact the Connecticut Department of Education.
To find out what other state teaching licenses can be used in Connecticut, check out our Teacher Certification Reciprocity page on Teach.com.
Career Advancement
Professional Development for Connecticut Teachers
The Connecticut Department of Education is strongly committed to professional learning. Specific professional development goals are set at the district level, although a minimum of 18 hours annually is required. More information can be found on the Connecticut Department of Education’s Professional Development page.
Benefits of a Master's Degree in Connecticut
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 can 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.
Teachers with a Master’s degree may receive a higher salary than their counterparts without one. According to the CONNCAN Teacher Database, on the average, a teacher with a Master’s degree makes $4,000 more than one with only a Bachelor’s degree.
Learn more about the benefits of a Master of Arts in Teaching vs. Master of Education on Teach.com.
Higher Education Teaching Certificate
The Higher Education Teaching Certificate online short course aims to give you the opportunity to engage deeply with and reflect on your teaching practices, portfolio, and journey in the higher education (HE) field. Loosely based on the in-person seminar program currently offered by Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, and in association with HarvardX, this course gives you the opportunity to explore the focus areas of pedagogy, course and assessment design, professional communication, language and culture of the classroom, and reflections on teaching – entirely online, from anywhere in the world.
Jobs, Benefits, and Opportunities for Teachers in Connecticut
Connecticut Teaching Jobs
Connecticut participates in the REAP (Regional Education Applicant Placement) service, a national educator recruitment program. To start looking for teaching jobs in Connecticut, visit CTREAP.
Learn more about finding a teaching job on Teach.com.
Connecticut Teacher Salary and Incentives
According to 2019 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average teacher in Connecticut makes $78,000 to $80,000 per year, depending on grade level. Connecticut is one of the highest paying states to teach in, although it does not provide any additional pay for teaching in high-demand districts or school subject.
Learn more about teacher salaries on Teach.com.
Connecticut Teacher Benefits and Retirement
Connecticut maintains a program called Teachers Retirement Board (TRB), which administers the state retirement program and aims to provide teachers with the best pension benefits. Connecticut teachers can retire at age 60 after 20 years of service, or at any age after 35 years of service (25 of which must have been in Connecticut). Early retirement is possible at 55 after 20 years of service, or at any age after 25 years of service (20 of which must have been in Connecticut).
Learn more about benefits for teachers on Teach.com.
Connecticut Teacher Shortage Areas
The United States Department of Education defines a Teacher Shortage Area (TSA) as a subject matter or grade level within a state in which there is an inadequate supply of elementary or secondary teachers. The shortage may be caused by teaching positions that are unfilled or are filled by teachers who have temporary certification or teach in an academic subject other than their area of preparation.
According to a report by the US Department of Education, Connecticut has the following Teacher Shortage Areas:
- Career and Technical Education
- English as a Second Language
- Math
- Science
- Special Education
- Psychologist
Financial Aid in Connecticut
Connecticut residents are eligible for the Applegate/Jackson/Parks Future Teacher Scholarship, as well as the TEACH 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.
Information last updated: May 2020