Become a Teacher 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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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:

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.

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.

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.