Certified Teachers

General Requirements

In What Subject Areas Are We Looking For Teachers?

Out-Of-State Teachers

Adding an Endorsement

FAQs

If you are a fully certified teacher ready to make gains in student achievement, we encourage you to join our staff.  If you are currently uncertified, please click here for more information.

We are looking for excellent certified teachers in ALL SUBJECT AREAS for the 2010-11 school year.  Certified teachers will receive salary credit of up to 10 years for prior out-of-district teaching experience.

To be considered for a teaching position, you must meet ALL of the following requirements:

• Currently possess a valid Tennessee teaching license (if you currently hold a teaching license from a state other than Tennessee, please click here for more information).
• Hold a Bachelors degree and have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5. Early Childhood and Elementary candidates must have a grade point average of at least 2.75
• Be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States
  Be committed to making a difference in the education of Memphis’ students
  Pass a criminal background check issued prior to employment

In what subject areas are we looking for teachers?

We are looking for certified teachers in ALL subject areas.  However, our greatest need for teachers is at the secondary level (middle and high school). Specifically, we are eager to fill positions in the math, chemistry, foreign languages, special education and middle school areas. If you are interested in teaching a secondary subject, but do not hold a license click here to find out more information about how you can qualify to teach one of these subjects.

While MCS has not hired a large number of elementary teachers over the past several years, we continue to have a strong need for middle school educators.  To greatly increase your chances of finding a position with MCS, we strongly encourage all educators with K-8 licensure to consider becoming highly qualified in all core middle grades (6-8) subject areas - Language Arts, Science, Math and Social Studies.  You can become highly qualified and eligible to teach in all middle grades content areas by passing a single PRAXIS exam, the Middle School Content Knowledge test (#0146). 

You can also choose to take a subject-specific Middle School PRAXIS exam in one of these four areas to become highly qualified in that single middle grades subject. Math and Science are MCS’ highest need subjects in the middle grades.  The single-subject PRAXIS exam codes are:

By taking and successfully passing this exam, you become highly qualified in middle school and able to be considered for K-8 positions.  Without demonstrating content knowledge by passing this PRAXIS exam, your K-8 licensure only qualifies you to teach K-6. 

Teachers who possess a non-Tennessee teaching license

Do you live outside of Tennessee, but are interested in teaching in Memphis?

In most cases, the State of Tennessee will recognize your license from another state if you meet one of the following conditions:

Testing Requirements: If you meet one of the above criteria, you may still be required to take the PRAXIS test.  We encourage you to contact the Tennessee Department of Education to find out requirements based on the state you are moving from.  If you are required to take the PRAXIS, you will be considered highly qualified for one year, however you must complete the required tests during that period.

All out-of-state teachers must apply for an Out of State Teaching License through the Tennessee Department of Education.

More information and the application may be found at http://state.tn.us/education/lic/out.shtml.  This easy-to-complete, two page document has four sections to complete: your personal information, PRAXIS or NTE scores, teaching experience verification and information about your teacher education program.  The application, including your score reports, experience verification form and official transcripts, must be mailed together in a single packet.

Adding an Endorsement to Your License

In addition to becoming highly qualified in the subject by taking and passing all applicable portions of the PRAXIS II subject area exam, additional university coursework is required to add an endorsement to an existing license.  The requirements outlined by each Tennessee college or university are as follows:

• The addition of a secondary level endorsement will not exceed 21 semester hours
• The K-12 additional endorsements (such as Art, Music, Theatre, Health, Physical Education and Special Education) will not exceed 30 semester hours
• The additional endorsement of Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, or Middle Grades Education will not exceed 30 semester hours (with some exceptions)

If you are interested in adding an endorsement, visit the DOE’s website for more information: http://state.tn.us/education/lic/add.shtml

FAQs

How many years of previous teaching experience will Memphis City Schools consider for salary adjustment?
The District will recognize ten years of out-of-district teaching (in- or out-of-state) in your placement on the salary scale.

Can I be considered for a teaching position if I have not yet completed my certification?
If you complete all of the requirements for certification prior to the start of the 2010-11 school year, you will be considered for positions that match your area of certification.

If you have completed all of the coursework required for licensure but have not successfully completed the necessary PRAXIS exams, it is likely you will not be eligible for a highly qualified license and therefore cannot be considered. 

If you already possess a bachelor’s degree and are currently enrolled in but have not completed a certification program, you may be eligible for a transitional license that will allow you to be considered for a position in MCS. Please click here for information on high-need areas and transitional licensure.

I’m a retired teacher from another state. Am I eligible to teach with Memphis City Schools?
If you are a retired teacher from outside of Tennessee you may continue to receive your retirement from a different state while you are teaching in Tennessee. Once you have five years of service in Tennessee, you are considered vested in the Tennessee retirement system.

Can I teach if my license is expired?
You must complete the requirements to renew your license before you will be eligible to teach.  Please visit http://state.tn.us/education/lic/renw.shtml for information on renewing your license.

What’s the difference between a license, endorsement and being highly qualified?
In Tennessee, teachers are considered “highly qualified” if they have demonstrated their content knowledge by completing a degree program in the area in which they will be teaching or have taken and passed the required PRAXIS exams.  Veteran teachers can also demonstrate their HQ status through continuing education and using the HOUSSE point system.  If you have taken PRAXIS exams but have not completed a licensure program, you are highly qualified but not licensed. 

In most cases, the PRAXIS tests required for licensure in Tennessee are also those  required to be considered HQ.  However, as in the case of K-8 licenses and middle grades, you may be licensed in K-8 but not highly qualified in the K-8 area.  This is also true of many professional Tennessee licenses.  Without completing continuing education courses or PRAXIS exams, your Professional license may not be considered highly qualified.