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California Teacher Certification

Average Teacher Salary: $59,345
Average State Salary for All Jobs: $48,090

Coursework and Preparation Programs You'll Need:

You'll need a Bachelor's Degree before you can teach in California schools. Undergraduate coursework requirements in California depend on whether you want to teach at the elementary, secondary or special education classes. These Web pages explain the requirements:
Requirements for elementary school teachers.
Requirements for secondary school teachers.
Requirements for special education teachers.
For a list of alternative teacher certification preparation programs, see the National Center for Alternative Certification Web site.

Tests

For teacher certification in California, you'll need to take the following test for basic teaching skills:
California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) Official Test | CBEST Test
You'll also need to take one or more of the following tests in specific subject areas:
California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET) | CSET Test

Reciprocity Agreements

The State of California has reciprocity agreements to accept teaching credentials from most other states.

Facts about California Teacher Certification

Differential pay support is available for teachers in high needs subject areas.
After teaching in California for two  years, a teacher becomes eligible for tenure.

For Further Information

You can contact the Credentialing Commission about teacher certification at this address:
Commission on Teacher Credentialing
P.O. Box 944270
Sacramento, CA 94244-2700

Or you can call with credentialing questions at 1-888-921-2682.
In addition, the following official Web sites have information about the California teacher certification process:

California Department of Education
California Commission on Teacher Credentialing