South Carolina requires anyone planning to seek teacher certification in the state to complete an approved educator preparation program at the Bachelor’s degree level.
The state also embraces alternative teacher certification programs, also known as Resident licensure programs, which remove barriers to joining the teaching profession by providing alternative pathways to educator certification.
These alternative certification programs allow you to teach in South Carolina public schools just by having a Bachelor’s degree in a program other than education. Most alternative certification programs will allow you to obtain a standard teaching certificate after a defined period, mostly three years.
South Carolina has several teaching positions open, and if you have a bachelor’s degree, you can start teaching immediately through an alternative certification program.
In this article, we will guide you through the steps and requirements to getting certified to teach in South Carolina public schools. We’ll also share the various types of alternative certification programs available and what you need to know to build a successful teaching career in South Carolina.
Alternative Teaching Programs
Alternative teacher preparation programs, also known as non-traditional or residency licensure programs, are meant for individuals with Bachelor’s degrees in programs other than education and would love to transition to education.
Alternative certification programs allow you to teach and start earning as you acquire your teaching certificate. Such residency licensure programs allow you to earn on-the-job experience while training to become a licensed educator.
The alternative licensure pathway to teaching in South Carolina helps you to acquire a residence license. The licensure can take between one and three years. The Residency License is a one-year teaching license that is renewable twice. To be issued with this license, you must present a supervision certificate from the educator program in which you are enrolled.
To acquire the residence license, you must find a teaching job and enrol in a teacher preparation program. You’re then required to take coursework outside of your school hours and implement the learned content in your classroom during the day.
Here is a list of the requirements you have to meet to acquire the South Carolina license:
- Hold a bachelor’s degree.
- Complete coursework relevant to your requested licensure area or have passed the content area examination in the area you want to be licensed in.
- Be enrolled in a recognized educator preparation program.
- Meet all the requirements from the State Board, such as completing student-teaching requirements to teach.
Steps to Teaching Certification
Different teacher programs may vary in their certification requirements. You need to check for the required steps in your particular program. Here is the general order for residency licensure in most programs.
- Get a bachelor’s degree: A bachelor’s degree is the primary requirement for teaching certification. If you plan to get certified in a Career and Technical Education field, you may use your work experience as proof of competence instead of a degree.
- Meet any GPA and coursework requirements: To enroll in a South Carolina teaching program, you must attain a minimum GPA and coursework in the subject area you plan to teach. Check with your program to check out their requirements. If you don’t meet the credit hours requirement, you may take the content test from your teaching subject to show your mastery of the content.
- Pass the Praxis exam: Most teaching programs require you to pass the Praxis content test for your preferred subject. Our South Carolina Praxis Exam Registration and Study Resources will help you register and prepare.
- Pass a state and federal background check: The South Carolina Department of Education requires that you pass a state and federal background check before you are allowed in the classroom to teach. To register for your background check, create an account in the SC Educator Portal and follow the registering instructions.
To be eligible for an alternative program, you must have yet to complete a student teaching program in a previously attended traditional teacher preparation program.
Your teaching certificate will depend on the subject and the grade level you want to teach.
The teaching certificate you earn will depend on the subject and grade level you want to teach. Read further on our South Carolina Certification Guide to check the specific programs available through alternative certification.
Reasons to Consider Alternative Certification
Alternative certification programs offer several benefits compared to traditional certification programs.
For instance, you will spend most of your day attending classes in traditional certification. You will also be required to undertake a supervised, unpaid student-teaching session towards the end of your certification program.
On the other hand, alternative certification will be good for you if you are transitioning to education from another career. It is also ideal if you have a bachelor’s degree in teaching subjects like English or math or have prior experience dealing with students, like in assistant or substitute teaching.
Types of Alternative Certifications in South Carolina
There are various routes to earning an alternative teaching certificate in South Carolina. Once you have a bachelor’s degree, you must pursue additional education under a teacher preparation program to earn full certification.
Here is a list of pathways to earning full certification as an educator in South Carolina:
Adjunct Teacher Certification
The Adjunct Teacher Certificate is incorporated in the Specialized Alternative Certification Guidelines approved by the South Carolina State Board of Education. It allows a school district or a public school in South Carolina to contract a subject area expert to fill an area of instructional need temporarily.
To qualify for this certificate, you must have a bachelor’s degree with a major in the certificate area, passing scores on the relevant Praxis II exam, and at least five years of similar occupational experience.
You may teach up to two courses per year with the Adjunct teaching certificate. The certificate does not lead to full-time professional certification, is valid for one year, and is non-renewable.
American Board Certification (ABCTE)
The South Carolina State Board of Education approves certification through the American Board (ABCTE) for English, mathematics, and science teaching areas.
Once you attain the ABCTE certification, you can apply for and accept teaching positions in South Carolina. You should continue meeting the requirements for full certification, such as completing a master’s degree.
The ABCTE certification pathway is only available if you intend to teach secondary biology, chemistry, English, mathematics, physics, science, or middle-level arts, math, or science.
If you complete the evaluation requirements and pass the Praxis exams in addition to three years of teaching, you may qualify for a Professional teaching certificate.
Greenville Alternative Teacher Education Program (GATE)
The Greenville Alternative Teacher Education Program is available to teacher candidates in the Greenville area. The Greenville Alternative Teacher Education Program (GATE) certification route is available for candidates interested in Early Childhood, Elementary, K-12 World Languages, and Special Education. It’s also available for those interested in middle-level language arts, middle-level math, middle-level social studies, or middle-level science; secondary grades, English, mathematics, science, social studies, and business and marketing.
To be certified in this program, you must have a 2.5 cumulative GPA, a passing score on the Praxis in the appropriate subject area, or equivalent in one of the eligible certification fields.
Teaching under this certificate grants you professional mentoring and coaching opportunities as you teach and attend teacher preparation programs.
You are eligible for a professional teaching certificate after completing a three-year teaching period under this program.
Program of Alternative Certification for Educators (PACE)
South Carolina’s State Board of Education approved the Program of Alternative Certification for Educators (PACE) to enable degreed individuals to teach in public schools in subject areas of critical need.
The certification allows you to begin teaching under the mentorship of experienced teachers as you complete a program of study to build your teaching effectiveness. For mentorship and coaching, you must enroll in seminars, workshops, and graduate courses that enable you to attain a professional certification.
To qualify for the PACE certification, you must have:
- A major or its equivalent in an approved PACE certification field
- A passing score on the Praxis Subject Assessments (SAs)
- Background check
If you have relevant teaching experience that meets the guidelines, you may be eligible to acquire credit on your educator certificate. You may qualify for a Professional teaching certificate once you have completed the PACE program and three years of teaching.
TeachCharleston Alternative Certification Program
The TeachCharleston Certification Program of South Carolina is a three-year certification program that contracts individuals with non-education majors looking to transition to education. The program focuses on qualified math, science, and English educators for the district’s high and middle schools.
To qualify, you must have a bachelor’s degree with a 2.75 GPA and 21 credit hours in your teaching area to qualify.
To apply for the TeachCharleston certificate, provide a writing sample and your scores on your teaching subject. You will be interviewed by the TeachCharleston Fellowship committee, after which you may interview with the individual school to acquire an employment letter.
Once you have completed the required coursework and passed your classroom observations and South Carolina required examinations within three years, you can earn your standard teacher certification from the South Carolina Board of Education.
Teach for America (TFA)
The Teach for America (TFA) certification pathway enlists, develops, and mobilizes recent graduates who majored in areas other than education. The program requires a two-year commitment. You will be eligible for professional licensure after completing a third year in the program and completing any other educational requirements.
To qualify for this certification route, you must have a bachelor’s degree and a passing score in the relevant Praxis subject area assessment.
To get TFA certification, apply directly to Teach for America, after which, once you are accepted, you will undergo an intensive summer teacher preparation program and be assigned to a TFA partnership district.
In the school district, you will combine classroom teaching with a state-approved teacher preparation program through online and evening classes.
Career and Technology Education (CTE) Work-Based Certification Program
The Career and Technology Education (CTE) is a work-based certification program that credits work experience rather than a bachelor’s degree.
Educators under the Career and Technical Education teach specific career skills to middle, high school, and post-secondary students.
CTE teacher certification considers practical subjects such as agriculture, computer science, business and marketing education, family and consumer services, and industrial technology.
To qualify as an educator in this program, you must have a high school diploma and the education and experience for the specific CTE subject you wish to teach. You should start by processing your fingerprinting and criminal background check, after which you may apply to the school district to apply for an induction certificate on your behalf.
To become fully certified, you must complete five years of professional development that includes in-service Institutes and coursework.
Requirements for Any Alternative Certification
To pursue teacher certification under an alternative pathway in South Carolina, you must have a bachelor’s degree. You must also earn passing scores on the Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) and Praxis Subject Assessments examination.
Before acquiring an alternative teaching certificate, you must pass these assessments in most alternative certification options.
You must undertake a criminal history background check regardless of your teacher certification pathway. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will perform the background check, and you are expected to cover all the associated fees.
Teacher Salary in South Carolina
According to Salary.com, the average salary for a public school teacher salary in South Carolina is $54,036. But the salaries range between $45,122 and $65,907.
To manage the teacher shortage rates in South Carolina and encourage retention, the South Carolina General Assembly raised the minimum teacher starting salary to $40,000, an increase of $4,000 from the previous year.
However, the earnings of a teacher in South Carolina depend on factors such as the years of service within the school district, the specific school district, and the level of education.
The table below shows South Carolina entry teacher salaries depending on school districts and level of education.
[table “19” not found /]You can also increase your earnings by acquiring advanced degrees or participating in extracurriculars at your school.
You could earn bonuses by meeting certain performance standards or earning your National Board Certification.
Benefits for Teachers in South Carolina
Teaching in areas with a teacher shortage could see you qualify for extra financial aid such as loan forgiveness.
Additionally, many districts pay extra stipends and bonuses to teachers in critical need areas.
For instance, the South Carolina Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program could benefit you if you teach in a critical need subject or geographical region. For instance, if you work in a region short of math, science, and special education educators, you could receive up to $17,500. You could get up to $5,000 in forgiven loans in a different subject.
Also, teachers in South Carolina benefit from retirement funds from the South Carolina Retirement System or the State Optional Retirement Program.
The South Carolina Retirement pension plan means you will receive monthly funds from the state after your retirement. The longer your years of service, the more you receive on retirement.
Also, teachers in South Carolina enjoy vacation days such as spring break, the December holiday break, the National holidays off, and paid personal and sick days within the school year.
Classroom teachers in South Carolina can also become homeowners through the Teacher Next Door Program. The program is designed to help classroom teachers own homes in their communities through various financial support options, including:
- Home loans,
- Preferred interest rates,
- Down payment assistance,
- Housing grants
Teacher Job Outlook in South Carolina
South Carolina is home to approximately 800,000 students in around 1,300 schools. The state had over 1,000 open teaching positions at the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year, some of which never got filled.
The Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement reported a 39% increase in teacher vacancies in South Carolina at the beginning of the 2023 school year.
The demand for educators in South Carolina is high, and the number of teaching opportunities is projected to continue increasing.
If you are passionate about shaping the future of our state’s education while making a difference in the future generation, there are great opportunities for you in South Carolina.
South Carolina provides career growth opportunities that could help you grow your salary, such as getting certified in additional subjects, becoming a school or district administrator, or working on an education policy.
Administrative positions such as assistant principals, curriculum coordinators, principals, and superintendents come with additional salary schedules and bumps.
Build a Successful Teaching Career in South Carolina
Teaching allows you to experience the satisfaction of inspiring the future generation and society. If you are a bachelor’s degree holder and hope to transition to the teaching field, alternative certification in teaching could be the appropriate pathway for you.
South Carolina embraces various options of alternative teacher certification that will see you acquire a teacher license faster than in a traditional teacher preparation program.
If building a fulfilling teaching career in South Carolina is your goal, take your first step today and earn your South Carolina Teaching Certificate in no time.
