Become a Teacher in Virginia
VIRGINIA STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
James Monroe Building
101 N. 14th Street
Richmond, VA 23219
1-800-292-3820
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Steps to Becoming a Teacher in Virginia
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)
Teacher education programs in Virginia are a combination of curricula and fieldwork. The coursework often includes instruction on foundational knowledge and skills, teaching methodology and preparing students to research, design and implement learning techniques in their field of study. Fieldwork includes student teaching, observing classrooms or completing an internship.
All states, including Virginia, require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in order to receive teacher certification. Virginia does not list specific course or credit hour requirements, although it does specify the skills it wants teachers in every area or subject to master. The state does require field experience hours and supervised student teaching.
Every college or university teacher preparation program will have requirements of its own. Contact your teacher preparation program or the Virginia Department of Education’s licensure page for more information. Visit Teach.com's Virginia state certification page to learn more about additional requirements regarding Virginia teacher preparation programs.
Teachers in Virginia are required to complete an accredited teacher education program from a college or university. A list of state-approved college and university teacher preparation programs can be found at the Virginia Department of Education’s list of Approved Educator Preparation Programs.
In Virginia, teachers must pass a Basic Skills Test requirement and also Subject Area Competence assessments related to their teaching specialty area.
Basic Skills Test
Subject Area Competence
- Praxis II: Subject Tests in your specialty area
- Praxis Series Reading for Virginia Educators (RVE) required for Elementary and Special Education Certification
You can learn more about the Praxis exams by visiting Teach.coms' Guide to the Praxis Exams and read more about teacher certification tests on Teach.com.
Initial Teaching Certifications
Virginia provides several routes to licensure, including college and university programs approved by the Board of Education, reciprocity for educators licensed by other states and alternative routes for qualified candidates. Contact the Virginia Department of Education for more information or go to Teach.com’s credentialing page.
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 Virginia
People who wish to teach in Virginia, and who have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university other than an education degree and who have not earned a teaching certificate, can earn an alternative teaching certificate as long as they satisfy the state’s requirements. One route is the Virginia Career Switcher Alternative Route to Licensure Program.
Virginia Teacher Certification Information & Links
- Virginia Department of Education
- Virginia Department of Education Teacher Licensure page
- Virginia Retirement System (VRS)
- Virginia Teacher Tenure
- Virginia Troops to Teachers Program
Transferring Your Certification
Certification Reciprocity in Virginia
Credentials from other states are accepted by the state of Virginia. A list of these states is included in this section. Contact the Virginia Department of Education or visit the Teach.com reciprocity page for more information.
To find out what other state teaching licenses can be used in Virginia, check out our Teacher Certification Reciprocity page on Teach.com.
Career Advancement
Professional Development for Virginia Teachers
An online list of professional development opportunities is available on the Virginia Department of Education website. Opportunities include archived webinars (online seminars) and educational technology programs. Teachers interested in professional development can find additional resources and programs through the U.S. Department of Education’s online Teacher-to-Teacher workshops and Virginia’s curriculum enhancement program, Community of Learning.
Benefits of a Master's Degree in Virginia
One benefit of having a master’s degree in education is a higher salary. Teachers with master’s degrees may also be more likely to be offered positions in education that advance their careers. Contact the Department of Education for more information about the benefits of a Master’s in Education Degree in Virginia.
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 Virginia
Virginia Teaching Jobs
Job seekers can find job listings and resources, information about education job recruitment fairs and school district or division websites at the VDOE Another resource is Teach Virginia, an online teaching job bank, which provides information and resources about licensure, critical shortage areas, switching careers and special education.
Learn more about finding a teaching job on Teach.com.
Virginia Teacher Salary and Incentives
In 2018, Virginia teachers earned an average yearly salary of around $69,000 to $70,000 depending on grade level taught1, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In Virginia, teachers’ salaries and benefits are determined by each teacher’s experience and qualifications. Virginia teachers can also benefit from some of the additional incentives that are offered, which include scholarships, loans and tuition assistance programs.
Learn more about teacher salaries on Teach.com.
Virginia Teacher Benefits and Retirement
Teachers in the state of Virginia are required to become members of the Virginia Retirement System (VRS), a system for all state employees. As a member of VRS teachers are eligible to retire with full benefits at age 65 as long as they have worked a minimum of five years, and at any age if their age and years of service total at least 90. They can also receive reduced benefits if they retire at 60 with a minimum of five years service. More information about retirement options, qualifications and benefits are available through the VRS website.
Learn more about benefits for teachers on Teach.com.
Virginia Teacher Shortage Areas
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 list of teacher shortage areas in Virginia for the 2020-21 school year as reported by the U.S. Department of Education.
- General Shortages
- Career & Technical Education
- English
- Special Education
- Social Studies
- Elementary Education
- Foreign Languages
- Mathematics
- Science
- Library Media
Financial Aid in Virginia
Learn more about how to finance your Master's degree on Teach.com.
Information last updated: May 2020