Education

Steps to Becoming a Teacher

Step 4: Certification Applications

Teacher Certification

In Wisconsin, certification to each is based on program approval. Approved programs are courses of study developed by teacher education institutions and presented to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for approval. Candidates must have earned the stated grade point averages, completed all of the courses required for the certification, passed the Praxis II Wisconsin Subject Area Test(s), earned a degree, and successfully completed student teaching to be recommended for a teaching license.

Upon successful completion of a bachelor degree and the approved education program, a candidate will be endorsed or recommended for licensure to teach. Licensure is not automatic. It is necessary to file an application and pay the required state fee.

Middle Childhood/Early Adolescent licenses are issued for grades 1-9. Early Adolescent/Adolescent licenses are issued for grades 6-12. Music, Foreign Language, and Physical Education licenses are issued Early Childhood through Adolescent for grades K-12. The Cross Categorical Special Education license is issued for grades 1-9, 6-12 and is an addition connected to either the Middle Childhood/Early Adolescent or Early Adolescent/ Adolescent license. The Cross Categorical License does not stand alone. Instead, it is connected to either the Middle Childhood/Early Adolescent or Early Adolescent/ Adolescent license.

Procedures

  1. For Wisconsin certification: Obtain a license application form from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) website. The application must be completed and returned to the Education Department Office with the appropriate fee for processing.
  2. Other states: write to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction in that state or visit the Regional Office of Education and request a license application and information on the processing procedure.

Teacher Employment

The Career and Placement Center exists to exchange information between candidates seeking employment and school district representatives seeking prospective teachers.

Teacher placement services are available and free to all candidates of the teacher education programs at Carthage College. This service is not automatic. Candidates may go to the Career and Placement Center and take the necessary steps to develop a credential file. Ideally, this should be done before leaving campus to student teach. The center has suggestions and guidelines for developing a file.

Please provide information to the Career and Placement Office related to where employment is secured. Please complete the information that is requested so that contact can be made for follow up studies for continuous program improvements.

Wisconsin teaching vacancies are listed on the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) website or with individual school districts.

Steps to Becoming a Teacher

Inspiration & Ideas

The Center for Children's Literature at Carthage, co-directed by education professor Marilyn Ward, offers future teachers valuable resources, lectures, workshops and seminars. Read more.