Licensure

Job-Embedded Teaching License

If you hold a bachelor's degree, you may be eligible to start your teaching career now.

To apply for a teaching position, you need to:

Hold a bachelor's degree or higher
Pass the Praxis test for the subject and grade level you wish to teach
Enroll in a job-embedded teaching certification program

A job-embedded license allows you to begin teaching while enrolled in a teacher preparation program through a local university or the iteach program. Below you will find a list of partnering universities, information about iteach Tennessee, and Praxis test preparation information.

iteach Tennessee

Wilson County Schools has partnered with iteach Tennessee to provide an affordable route to the classroom through their innovative online alternative teacher certification program. The program provides approved participants with the opportunity to begin teaching on a job-embedded teaching license once all enrollment requirements are met. Individuals hired through the program will receive intense mentoring support and participate in online asynchronous classes.

The enrollment fee for iteach is $250.00. Our partnership with iteach allows our employees to complete their entire teacher certification program and pay only $2,800 ($3,050 with enrollment fee). **Please note, the price listed on the iteach website is much higher than this amount. The amount you see listed here is the amount you will pay through our partnership with iteach.

Individuals interested in the program must meet the following criteria:

Does not already hold an active TN teaching license (this is not an additional endorsement program).
Must hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited university. Check your university here: HERE or HERE.
Hold a bachelor’s degree or higher with a graduating GPA of 2.5 overall or 2.5 GPA in the last 60 hours of coursework.
Have a passing score on all required content assessments/Praxis tests prior to being recommended for a teaching position.

Link to Praxis requirements for Tennessee.

Content areas eligible for iteach include:

Agriculture Science 6-12
American Sign Language
Biology 6-12
Business Education 6-12
Chemistry 6-12
Chinese
Early Childhood Special Education Prek-3
Elementary Education K-5
English 6-12
ESL PreK-12
Family and Consumer Sciences 6-12
French
German
Health
History 6-12
Japanese
Latin
Marketing Education 6-12
Math 6-12
Math 6-10
Middle Grades English/Language Arts 6-8
Middle Grades Math 6-8
Middle Grades Science 6-8
Middle Grades Social Studies 6-8
Music K-12
Physics 6-12
Physical Education
Spanish PreK-12
Special Education Comprehensive K-12
Special Education Interventionist K-8
Special Education Interventionist 6-12
Speech Communication 6-12
Theatre K-12
Visual Arts K-12

For more information, please visit https://www.iteach.net/tennessee/.

Teach Wilson County for New & Aspiring CTE Teachers

Partnering Universities

Austin Peay

Austin Peay (Occupational)

Belmont University

Bethel University

Cumberland University - State Recognized Partner of Wilson County Schools

East Tennessee State University

Lipscomb University

Middle Tennessee State University

Tennessee State University

Tennessee Tech

Tennessee Tech (Occupational)

Trevecca Nazarene University - State Recognized Partner of Wilson County Schools

Union University

University of Tennessee

UT-PLAYS SPED Program

University of Tennessee Chattanooga

Praxis Test Preparation

Licensure Requirements

**IMPORTANT NOTICE**

Applicants applying for a certified position in Wilson County Schools MUST hold a valid TN teaching license with appropriate endorsement. If hired and your TN license is not approved by the beginning of the school year, it may result in termination. Per (49-5-101) Basic requirements: No person shall be employed as principal, teacher or supervisor of any public elementary or high school by any local school district, or receive any pay for such services out of the public school funds of the local school district until the person presents to the director of schools a valid license as prescribed in this part. It is unlawful for any board of education to issue any warrant or check to such persons for services as principal, teacher or supervisor until the person has presented for record a license valid for the term of employment.

Required Literacy Training

List of Endorsements Required to Take Literacy Training for Licensure

TLSA now provides two pathways for demonstrating knowledge of foundational literacy instruction: completing a foundational literacy skills course or passing a foundational literacy instruction assessment. The Tennessee Early Literacy Assessment (TELA) was fully approved by the State Board of Education (SBE) during the June 2023 special-called board meeting. Educators may now take and pass the TELA as one option to meet TLSA licensure requirements.

Tennessee Literacy Assessment Overview 

Required Literacy Training explains the Literacy Training Licensure Requirement in detail.

If you are having trouble logging in to the training, try the following links.

Reading 360 Collection (both courses)	BFAC \| Educational Content \| Collection
Early Reading Training	BFAC \| Lessons & Learning item \| View
Secondary Literacy Training	BFAC \| Lessons & Learning item \| View

How to Upload Your Literacy Training Certificate in TNCompass

Licensure News & Updates

Requirements for Teaching Students with Disabilities

New Mathematics 6-10 Endorsement

In February 2021, the State Board of Education created an endorsement in mathematics 6-10 (endorsement code 2002). In addition to middle grades mathematics courses, these educators will be permitted to teach secondary mathematics courses, including Algebra 1, Geometry, and Integrated 1 & 2). Educators pursuing the Mathematics 6-10 endorsement must take the National Evaluation Series Mathematics (105 Middle and Early Secondary Grades 6-10) assessment. The testing fee is $95.00.

Clinical Mentor Service Verification Form

Educators may now submit a completed and signed form in TNCompass to receive professional development points (PDPs) for service as a clinical mentor. Beginning with the 2019-2020 academic year, one academic year of service as a clinical mentor for candidates completing an educator preparation program is eligible for an award of 20 PDPs.

In addition to uploading this form as an attachment on the Licensure tab in TNCompass, educators must also submit a PDP request using the TNCompass PDP Wizard.

Clinical Mentor Service Verification Form

Licensure Reactivation with an Out-of-State Professional License

Recent amendments to Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-5-108(c), now allow educators who hold an expired Tennessee license to reactivate without submitting qualifying scores on required assessments, if the teacher holds an active professional license in a state other than Tennessee. The professional license from another state must be a full, valid, continuously renewable license that is equivalent to Tennessee’s Professional license.

Educators will need to submit a Reactivate License transaction in TNCompass and upload a copy of their out-of-state license to the Attachments section on the Licensure tab of their TNCompass account.

New Out-of-State Professional-Level Licensure Guidance

Applications for initial educator licensure, submitted on or after July 1, 2021, will be evaluated under the new licensure requirements (in accordance with the passage of Section 1 of Chapter 125 of the Public Acts of 2021, which amends TCA 49-5-108(c)).

Educators holding a professional-level license in a state other than Tennessee will receive a Tennessee Professional 6-Year license (professional teacher license, professional occupational teacher license, or professional school services personnel license), provided the professional license from another state is equivalent to Tennessee’s Professional license. The Professional 6-Year license is a full, professional-level license.

Educators applying prior to July 1 will be informed of the option to either apply now, under current licensure requirements or apply after July 1, to be considered under the new requirements. Additional information is available by visiting New Out-of-State Professional-Level Licensure Process.

Experience Requirements for Licensure Advancement

To advance from an initial license (transitional, apprentice, practitioner) to the professional license, teachers and school service personnel must demonstrate three years of experience working in an appropriate pre-K-12 instructional setting. The experience no longer must include 10 months in a Tennessee public school.

Educators may submit experience not reflected in TNCompass, including experience outside of Tennessee, using the Experience Verification form. Additional guidance by visiting the Experience Verification form.