Licensure Procedure
As part of the final step in preparation for teaching, you must apply for licensure in the state of Virginia. Initial licensure is issued by the Virginia Department of Education in Richmond.
After you have completed the state approved program for teaching, the Director
of Teacher Education will recommend you for initial licensure. This recommendation
certifies that you have completed a state approved program and are qualified
by character and temperament for the teaching profession. EMU takes the responsibility
of recommending graduates for licensure seriously; therefore, the screening
process actually occurs when you apply for admission to the teacher education
program during the sophomore year.
Licensure is not automatic, but is acquired only when the student completes
the proper application forms. These forms are available in the Teacher
Education Office. Since you are graduating from a Virginia Department of Education
approved program, you are expected to apply for Virginia licensure. By so
doing, you will establish a base for interstate reciprocity for becoming licensed
in other states. A transcript from the Registrar's Office must accompany all
application forms for a teaching license. Accounts at the Business Office
must be paid or arrangements made for payment before transcripts are released
from the Registrar's Office.
By receiving a Virginia license, you will have reciprocity for licensure in
many other states; however, you also need to apply for licensure in the state
where you plan to teach. Information about teacher licensure in other states
is available in the Teacher Education Office. Please be aware that required
teacher tests vary from state to state. It is possible that you will need
to take additional tests to qualify for licensure in the state to which you
are applying. Most states, including Virginia, require a fee for licensure
which is the responsibility of the student. Addresses for all the states are listed in the Teacher Education or Student Teaching
Handbook.
*Note that if you plan to apply for licensure in another state, your Praxis
I & II scores may need to be submitted directly to the state department
of education as some states do not accept photocopies of the scores. You need
to know this information when you register to take the Praxis II: Specialty
Area Test. A fee is charged if you send your scores after you have already
taken the test.
Meritorious New Teacher Candidate (MNTC) Designation
Some candidates will qualify for the Meritorious New Teacher Candidate (MNTC) designation. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Teachers Project (MARTP) established the designation of Meritorious New Teacher Candidate (MNTC) as a symbol of excellence to acknowledge highly qualified teachers when they graduate from their teacher preparation institutions. This designation is not a new certificate, but rather an optional designation, similar to the Merit Scholar designation or Distinguished Diploma for high school students. It is not to be used as a requirement for employment or license, as doing so would defeat its unique and important purpose of creating a new high bar for teacher preparation. We anticipate that only 10% - 15% of teacher candidates will meet the requirements initially, but we hope that the designation will serve as an incentive for more students to strive for this level of excellence in the future.Purposes of This DesignationThe Meritorious New Teacher Candidate designation is designed to:
- Attract high-performing students into the field of teaching.
- Encourage teacher preparation programs to strive for excellence.
- Increase teacher supply in the Mid-Atlantic region.
- Enhance educational equity by providing a mechanism to draw these teachers to low-performing and/or high poverty schools.
- Reduce the attrition rate of exceptional teachers by creating full reciprocity throughout the region for the duration of their license.
- Allow states in the region to hire new teachers meeting these criteria from any other state in the nation without imposing additional criteria, thereby increasing teacher supply and quality in the Mid-Atlantic region.
This designation and the qualifying criteria were developed by a committee with broad representation from schools of education, state departments of education, local districts, research organizations, and a national teacher association.
