Become a Teacher in Maryland
MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
200 West Baltimore St
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 767-0100
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Steps to Becoming a Teacher in Maryland
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: 04/28/2020)
All states require a bachelor’s degree to teach, while states differ on undergraduate coursework requirements. For example, prospective teachers enrolled at the University of Maryland must complete specific course and credit requirements depending on a student’s major.
See the Maryland Department of Education website for more information on certification in early, elementary, middle and secondary education as well as teaching specialities.
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 in Maryland can be found at the Maryland State Department of Education.
Most states require tests to show competency in basic skills as well as in the desired subject area. For basic skills, Maryland requires either the Pre Professional Skills Test (PPST) or a passing score on the SAT, ACT, or GRE. For Subject Area Competency, the Praxis II: Subject Tests are used.
You can learn more about the Praxis exams by visiting Teach.com's Ultimate Guide to the Praxis Exams and read more about teacher certification tests on Teach.com.
Initial Teaching Certifications
To earn your Maryland teaching credential, you will have to complete the required amount of undergraduate coursework and standardized tests, as well as an accredited certification program. Maryland offers four levels of certification for graduates of traditional teacher preparation programs:
- Professional Eligibility Certificate (PEC), issued to new teachers who meet all certification requirements and are not yet employed by a Maryland school or district
- Standard Professional Certificate I (SPC I), issued to teachers during at some point after employment at a Maryland public school or accredited nonpublic school
- Standard Professional Certificate II (SPC II), issued upon completion of three years of satisfactory professional experience and six semester hours of coursework
- Advanced Professional Certificate (APC), issued to teachers who have met all of the above requirements and earned a master's degree, or completed a minimum of 36 semester hours of post-baccalaureate coursework which must include at least 21 semester hours of graduate credit
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 Maryland
Maryland offers alternative teacher preparation at the county and city level, which means there are many different programs available throughout the state. These programs are compiled in the Maryland Approved Alternative Teacher Preparation Programs Directory which is consistently updated by the department of education. Teachers in alternative preparation programs are issued a Resident Teacher Certificate, which is valid for two years.
Maryland Teacher Certification Information & Links
Transferring Your Certification
Certification Reciprocity in Maryland
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 Maryland, visit the Teach.com reciprocity page. Or, for more specific questions about your situation, contact the Maryland State Department of Education.
To find out what other state teaching licenses can be used in Maryland, check out our Teacher Certification Reciprocity page on Teach.com.
Career Advancement
Professional Development for Maryland Teachers
Maryland’s Professional Development Advisory Council (PDAC) recognizes the importance of professional development to improve public education. The council aims to standardize policies and programs and the local and state level. Teachers can currently participate in a variety of conferences and workshops, or take online courses over the summer.
Benefits of a Master's Degree in Maryland
It is no longer enough to only have many years of experience teaching. After No Child Left Behind and other academic quantification measures, teachers are almost solely being evaluated by their success 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, which has the potential to lead to higher pay. Teachers may earn significantly more with a master’s degree, depending on the county, according to the state department of education.
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 Maryland
Maryland Teaching Jobs
The Maryland Department of Education posts some teaching jobs on their site. Job seekers can also go to use the Maryland page on SchoolSpring to find in-state teaching jobs. in state. Learn more about finding a teaching job.
Learn more about finding a teaching job on Teach.com.
Maryland Teacher Salary and Incentives
In Maryland, teachers earned an average of $73,000 to $75,000 in 2018 depending on grade level, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Maryland is one of the highest paying states to teach in and provides additional pay support to teachers working in high-needs schools and shortage subjects. Salary schedules are left up to individual school districts. An example of a salary schedule can be found on Montgomery County Public Schools website.
Learn more about teacher salaries on Teach.com.
Maryland Teacher Benefits and Retirement
Teachers in Maryland public schools become vested in the pension system after five years of service. Employees must work at least 50% of the work week to be eligible for benefits. Teachers in Maryland can retire with full benefits at age 62 with at least five years of service, or at age 55 with 25 years of service for reduced benefits. Additional benefits include multiple healthcare plans, compensation plans, tuition reimbursement, and paid annual, personal, and sick leave. For more information, visit the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System or by going to Teach.com the online Maryland’s Public School Teacher Benefit Summary.
Learn more about benefits for teachers on Teach.com.
Maryland 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 Maryland for the 2020-21 school year as reported by the U.S. Department of Education.
- Dance
- Career and Technical Education
- English as a Second Language
- Mathematics
- Mathematics
- Science
- Special Education Areas
- World Language Areas
Financial Aid in Maryland
Maryland 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.
Information last updated: May 2020