Certification & Licensing

Pictures show what mouth shape different sounds make on the walls of Diana Oviedo-Holguin’s class at Heritage Elementary School in San Antonio, Texas, on Sept. 3, 2025.
Pictures show what mouth shape different sounds make on the walls of Diana Oviedo-Holguin’s class at Heritage Elementary School in San Antonio, Texas, on Sept. 3, 2025. Texas officials are getting closer to launching a new bilingual special education certification that will help teachers better understand the intersecting needs of English learners who are also students with disabilities.
Noah Devereaux for Education Week
States How One State is Leading the Way for English Learners With Disabilities
Advocates hope Texas can set an example with a forthcoming bilingual special education certificate.
Ileana Najarro, October 30, 2025
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3 min read
Human icon print screen on wooden cube block with space for Human Resource Management and Recruitment hiring concept.
Dilok Klaisataporn/iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession How Uncertified Teachers Went From a Stopgap to an Escalating Crisis
Using uncertified teachers to fill shortages may further destabilize the educator pipeline.
Sarah D. Sparks, October 20, 2025
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10 min read
Waist-up view of early 30s teacher sitting with 11 year old Hispanic student at library round table and holding book as she pronounces the words.
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Recruitment & Retention What the Research Says These Maps Reveal Gaps in Special Education, English-Learner Teacher Supply
Long-term teacher shortages for these growing populations demand new solutions to rebuild pipelines.
Sarah D. Sparks, September 30, 2025
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3 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Teaching Profession Opinion A New Test for Some Would-Be Teachers Might Just Be a Political Move
The goal of an assessment shouldn't be performative politics.
Rick Hess, September 30, 2025
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8 min read
Illustration of a teacher's desk and speech bubbles with the colors of the US flag with stars and stripes.
Illustration with Getty and DigitalVision Vectors.
Teaching Profession Free-Speech Lines Blur for Teachers in Wake of Charlie Kirk's Killing
Fallout from teacher reactions to the activist's death led some state officials to threaten to revoke educators' licenses.
Sarah D. Sparks, September 19, 2025
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9 min read
A first grade teacher greets her class in front of Christa McAuliffe School in Jersey City, N.J., Thursday, April 29, 2021.
A first grade teacher greets her class in front of Christa McAuliffe School in Jersey City, N.J., Thursday, April 29, 2021. New Jersey and other states waived some certification requirements for teachers during the pandemic to ease hiring, but the results of those policies contained some tradeoffs for teacher quality.
Seth Wenig/AP
Teaching Profession What Happened When States Dropped Teacher Licensing Requirements?
New research into that period offers clues about what more permanent changes to licensure requirements could effect.
Sarah Schwartz, August 14, 2025
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4 min read
Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters holds his hand over his heart during the National Anthem at inauguration ceremonies on Jan. 9, 2023, in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters holds his hand over his heart during the National Anthem at inauguration ceremonies on Jan. 9, 2023, in Oklahoma City. Walters announced plans for a new test to screen teachers from states considered “woke.”
Sue Ogrocki/AP
Teaching Profession Want to Teach in Oklahoma? You May Have to Prove You're Not 'Woke'
The state is partnering with PragerU to develop an assessment for incoming educators.
Sarah D. Sparks, July 10, 2025
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3 min read
Photograph of a diverse group of educators meeting in the hallway of an elementary school.
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Recruitment & Retention Q&A Schools Can't Find Enough Teachers. A New Federal Center Aims to Help
The U.S. Department of Education's research agency has launched a new center focused on improving teacher staffing and retention.
Sarah D. Sparks, October 1, 2024
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6 min read
Classroom materials show the days of the week and months of the year in Spanish in a dual-language class at UCLA Community School.
Classroom materials show the days of the week and months of the year in Spanish in a dual-language class at UCLA Community School.
Allison Shelley/EDUimages
English Learners Why Teachers of English Learners With Disabilities Need Specialized Training
An expert discusses what comprehensive training works best for teachers working with students who are English learners with disabilities.
Ileana Najarro, June 25, 2024
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3 min read
Photo of superintendent meeting with staff.
E+ / Getty
States Superintendent Vacancies Are High. Is Loosening Requirements a Good Idea?
Wisconsin's governor, a former educator, vetoed a bill that would have waived licensure requirements for district leaders.
Evie Blad, April 22, 2024
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3 min read
Female teacher reads to multi-cultural elementary school students sitting on floor in class at school
iStock/Getty
Teacher Preparation What Will It Take to Align Teacher Prep to the Science of Reading? California Offers Clues
The Golden State is revamping credentials for teaching reading. But some advocates worry it won't go far enough.
Sarah Schwartz, January 23, 2024
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7 min read
Multiracial group of adults at computers.
iStock/Getty
Teacher Preparation Most Licensure Tests Are Weak Measures of Teachers' 'Science of Reading' Knowledge
Fewer than half of states use a strong test, according to a new analysis from the National Council on Teacher Quality.
Sarah Schwartz, November 7, 2023
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6 min read
woman at a desk looking at her laptop and phone
iStock/Getty
Teacher Preparation Teachers From Online-Only Prep Programs Hinder Student Achievement, Report Finds
They are also 2.5 times more likely to leave the profession than other teachers.
Alyson Klein, October 10, 2023
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4 min read
Vector illustration of a man in a suit and tie holding on to a huge navigation marker/pin and running or flying over a map landscape.
iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession The Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact Is Now in Effect. Here’s What That Means
The agreement to remove licensing red tape when moving to another state is now live with 10 states on board.
Madeline Will, July 10, 2023
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3 min read
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