Requirements For School Teacher in Iowa, IA
Iowa, ranking 30th in population, has 481,250 students. There are 1445 public schools, broken down into 786 elementary, 291 middle, and 368 high schools. Iowa as a state is well above national average in standardized testing, placing second in the nation in the ACT and first in the SAT, AP scores being well above average as well. Iowa has a graduation rate of 87.2% which is also above average.
Certification Requirements:
Initial Teaching License (valid for 2 years)
- Bachelors Degree from an accredited college or university.
- Complete an Iowa Teacher Preparation Program.
- Take and pass the Praxis I: Basic Skills Test.
- Take and pass the Praxis II: Content Knowledge Assessment in appropriate subject/s.
- Fulfill state fingerprinting requirements.
- Pass a criminal background check.
- Complete the certification application packed, including transcripts, certifications, and references.
- Pay any applicable fees.
Standard Teaching License in Iowa:
The Standard license is issued upon review after the initial 2 year license has expired, this license is then valid for a period of 5 years after which it must be renewed.
Some districts may require additional training and certification.
Iowa Teaching Employment Outlook:
Iowa is hiring teachers, and is specifically in need of highly qualified educators. There are even a few sites online the school districts have posted job offerings for, specific to school and district, although most are looking for previous job experience. As a whole the teaching industry is a fairly stable job market, relatively speaking teachers were not hit as hard as the rest of the job industry over the recent recession and Iowa is no exception. However, compared to other states Iowa isn’t the most attractive state for the new teacher to start out in, especially if you do not have higher qualification such as a Master’s or PhD.
Iowa Teaching Salaries
Iowa is up from 37th to 26th ranked nationally in salary with the average teacher making $48,638 in 2009-2010 (according to bls.gov). Although student enrollment in Iowa has been declining for a number of years, there is a projected 2.2% increase in enrollment, coupled with an estimated 3,100 teachers eligible for retirement could foreshadow an increased need for teachers in the near future.