If you’ve earned your academic credentials from Kansas, you might be wondering if they’ll help you land a teaching job in Texas.

The short answer is yes, you can teach in Texas with a Kansas certificate. But you’d have to get your credentials reviewed and approved. Since Texas doesn’t have a teacher’s reciprocity agreement with other states, the certificates aren’t transferable.

In this article, we will learn the exact process to start teaching in Texas with certificates obtained from Kansas institutions.

Out-of-station Teaching Candidates

In Texas, teachers with certificates earned outside the state are referred to as “out-of-station candidates.” Because Texas doesn’t have teacher reciprocity in place with other states, the process to start teaching in Texas with Kansas credentials isn’t straightforward.

Teacher reciprocity is essentially a diplomatic agreement between states that recognizes teaching credentials issued by each other. Consider it as a passport for educators, allowing you to seamlessly transition from one state to another without starting from scratch.

The NASDTEC (National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification) is the primary framework for reciprocity. States that participate in this agreement have agreed to certain standards and procedures.

Note that Texas does not have a reciprocity agreement with other states. This means the teaching certificates aren’t transferable between states.

In other words, you cannot directly teach in Texas with certificates earned from Kansas. There’s a separate procedure in place.

Steps to Teach in Texas with a Kansas Certification

While Texas doesn’t have teacher’s reciprocity, it offers a pathway for out-of-state candidates to start teaching in the state. This involves going through a 6-step process. These are:

1. Create a TEAL Account
2. Submit an application for review of your certificates
3. Submit certificates and official transcripts
4. Submit proof of English language proficiency
5. Register for required examination
6. Apply for a standard certificate

Let’s explore each step in more detail.

1. Create a TEAL Account

TEAL stands for Texas Education Agency Login. Think of it as your personal portal to the Texas education system. From certification management to curriculum resources, you’ll need TEAL to access essential tools.

Thus, head over to TEAL page and create an account. You’d have to provide certain personal details, including name, email address, physical address, and state-issued ID like driver’s license. Provide any other details asked on the screen. But make sure to provide correct details and take note of Caps while filling out the form. You can refer to this official resource on how to set up an educator account.

It doesn’t take long to create a TEAL account. Once registered and approved, you can proceed to the next step.

2. Submit a Review Application

TEAL offers a wide range of services for educators. You can manage your certificates, get access to online courses, and submit job applications. But in this case, you need to submit a review application specifically.

For this, click on the “View My Educator Certification Account” link and provide the details of your Kansas credentials. Then, on the Applications menu, select “Out-of-State Certified Applicants.” Then select “Review of Credentials from Another State of U.S. Territory.”

This step is crucial since this will mark you as someone who has received certificates from outside the state in the TEAL database.

Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the necessary sub-steps. Towards the end, you’ll be asked to pay a $164 non-refundable fee (this may change at the time of your application). You can pay it through credit cards or internet banking and submit the review application.

3. Submit Certificates and Official Transcripts

Once you’ve submitted the request, you’d be required to upload your certificates. These are required for review and verification purposes. TEA will cross-check your certificates and ensure you’ve completed your necessary education from Kansas institutions.

Along with that, you’ll have to submit the official transcripts. It details your academic performance and other crucial details, which would help TEA determine your eligibility for teaching roles.

You’d have to upload the documents and the transcripts in the “My Documents” section of your account.

In case you have obtained one or any of your certificates from multiple states, you’d have to upload a separate copy for each certificate.

When it comes to certificates, there are two things you need to know:

1. The certificates don’t need to be valid at the time of application. But, the certificate must be a standard-level certificate at the time it was issued.
2. Substandard, permits, temporary, and substitute certificates aren’t eligible for teaching roles in Texas.

Since Texas doesn’t have reciprocity, this step may take longer than usual. You should get an update from TEA in this regard as soon as the verification of your certificates and transcripts is completed.

Submit Proof of English Proficiency

While Texas is a multilingual state with both English and Spanish speakers, the official classroom language is English. Therefore, you need to prove that you can speak English well, especially if you’re an immigrant or foreign citizen.

If you hold an undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited U.S. institution, you generally don’t need to provide proof of English proficiency. But in other cases, you are required to submit proof of English proficiency.

You’ll have to submit the proof while submitting the above documents. The obvious way is to take a TOEFL test and score the necessary results. Then upload the results onto the My Documents section. This should prove that you’re proficient in teaching English.

Register for Required Exams

The penultimate step involves registering for exams that will make you eligible to teach in Texas with Kansas certification. While specific exams may vary, the most common exam is TExES exam.

There are numerous TExES exams, each tailored to a particular teaching field and grade level. For instance:

• Early Childhood-Early Childhood (EC-12): For teachers working with young children.
• Mathematics 4-8: For middle school math teachers.
• English Language Arts and Reading 4-8: For middle school English language arts teachers.
• Science 7-12: For high school science teachers.
• Special Education EC-12: For special education teachers.

You’ll have to sit for the exams as per your desired teaching level.

Exception for Experienced Teachers

You might be exempted from taking the exams if you’re an experienced teacher, i.e., you have proven experience of teaching at an accredited institution.

While one year of verifiable, full-time experience is necessary, the exact number of years of teaching experience can vary. It depends on factors such as your current teaching certification and the specific subject and grade level you plan to teach.

If you have experience and want an exemption from the tests, you’ll have to submit a separate form. This form must be submitted by the HR staff at the institution on your behalf.

Apply for Standard Certificate

The last step is to apply for a standard renewable certificate issued by the TEA. This will make you eligible to teach at Texas schools and universities. This will be issued within a few days to weeks. If you need, you can ask for a provisional certificate to start your job hunting.

As already mentioned, the TEAL portal gives you access to the available jobs in the region. Alternatively, you can find jobs on portals like Monster, Indeed, or LinkedIn.

So in conclusion, yes, you can teach in Texas with a Kansas certificate. But you’ll have to complete some formalities.

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Disclaimer

This article does not contain legal, educational, or government advice. As regulations can change from time to time, readers are advised to check with their local education departments to receive up-to-date information.