Teach in Alabama

How to find teaching jobs in Alabama

Teaching jobs in Alabama require a Bachelor’s degree and a teaching license in your subject of specialization. The Alabama State Department of Education is moving towards a more student-centred learning approach in public schools and seeks teachers who practice this approach. There are currently many opportunities to teach in Alabama elementary and high schools, with teachers specializing in foreign languages, business, math and agriculture are especially in demand.

Options for teaching in Alabama

With almost 750,000 pre-K-12 students enrolled in Alabama’s over 1,600 public schools, there are many options for teachers looking to teach in Alabama at the kindergarten, elementary, middle or high school level.

How to earn your Alabama teaching license

Educators looking to teach in Alabama will first need to pass the Alabama state exam for educators. The standard teaching certificate in Alabama for candidates who meet basic requirements is the Professional Educator Certificate, Class B.

Alabama teaching education requirements

Teachers in the Alabama public and private K-12 school system are required to have an active Alabama educator certification. This process is overseen by the Alabama State Department of Education.

To be eligible to teach in Alabama, candidates will need to have a Bachelor’s degree, typically four years in length, in the field of education. Usually, a GPA of 2.5 is required. Candidates who have a lower GPA may still qualify for teacher certification in Alabama if they complete a Master’s degree with at least a 2.5 GPA.

Alternative teacher certification in Alabama

If you do not have a Bachelor's degree in education, there are three alternative pathways to teacher certification in Alabama available. Non-traditional paths to teacher certification in Alabama include the following:

• Alternative Baccalaureate-Level (known as the ABC approach)
• Alternative Fifth-Year Program
• Preliminary Certificate Approach

Certificate reciprocity in Alabama

The process of transferring teaching certification from one state to a different state is called certification reciprocity. If you are an American licensed teacher looking into teaching in Alabama, be aware that you will first need to transfer your teaching credentials.

Alabama is one of 44 US states currently participating in The National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) Interstate Agreement for Educator Licensure.

Required tests for teachers in Alabama

There are two tests that teachers in Alabama need to take in order to be certified to teach in Alabama schools: the Alabama Educator Certification Testing Program's Basic Skills Assessment and subject and grade-level specific Praxis II exam(s).

Other requirements to teach in Alabama

In order to be certified to teach in Alabama, you will also need to undertake a background check and fingerprinting at both the state and federal levels.

Salary and benefits for teachers in Alabama

The average yearly salary for teachers in Alabama is $48,193 USD. Teachers in Alabama typically get around 15 weeks of vacation as well as a pension plan and health care insurance.

Alabama teacher shortage areas (by subject)

Subjects that are currently experiencing a shortage of teachers in Alabama include the following: art, ESL, Physical Education, world languages, math and special education.

Professional development for teachers in Alabama

To keep their Alabama teaching certificate valid, Alabama teachers are required to complete professional development hours on an ongoing basis.

Top districts for teaching jobs in Alabama

Some of the top districts to teach in Alabama include the following:

• Hoover City Schools
• Vestavia Hills City Schools
• Mountain Brook City Schools
• Madison City Schools
• Florence City Schools
• Hartselle City Schools
• Oxford City Schools
• Auburn City Schools
• Opelika City Schools

Teaching in Alabama at a Glance