FLORIDA
STATE RESOURCES

Florida requires special educators to hold a bachelor's or higher degree with a major in exceptional student education, special education, mental disabilities, specific learning disabilities, emotional disabilities, physically impaired or varying exceptionalities or a bachelor's or higher degree with thirty (30) semester hours in exceptional student education. Learn more: https://www.fldoe.org/teaching/certification/certificate-subjects/administrative-rules/6a-4-01795.stml 

Educators must pass the Florida Teacher Certification examinations (FTCE) to be eligible for licensure.

• Step 1: Complete initial application package, which includes:

  • A completed online application

  • Appropriate processing fee

  • Official transcripts

• Step 2: Receive an Official Statement of Eligibility (SOE), which serves two functions

  • to officially state you are "eligible" for a certificate

  • to provide you with a custom list of requirements to achieve your certificate

• Step 3: Employment in a Florida elementary or secondary school

  • To be issued a Florida Temporary Certificate, an individual must be employed either in a public school or a nonpublic school that has a state-approved program for demonstration of professional education competence (a requirement for issuance of a Florida Professional Certificate).

• Step 4: Submit fingerprints for certification.

Full details of this process are outlined here: https://www.fldoe.org/teaching/certification/steps-to-certification/ 

Florida offers alternative paths for certification for those who hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited or approved instutition. A full outline of achieving this can be found here: https://www.fldoe.org/teaching/certification/pathways-routes/teaching-for-the-career-changer-or-col.stml 

The Florida Department of Education maintains a list of approved educator preparation programs: https://www.fldoe.org/teaching/preparation/initial-teacher-preparation-programs/approved-teacher-edu-programs.stml 

• Florida Council for Exceptional Children - https://florida.exceptionalchildren.org/ 

• Florida Future Educators of America - https://www.fldoe.org/teaching/recruitment/fl-future-educators-of-america/ 

• Florida Educator Association Aspiring Educators - https://feaweb.org/about/who-we-are/education-students/ 

• • • Minority Teacher Education Scholarship - https://www.ffmt.org/

    • Florida's Office of Student Financial Assistance - https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/SAPHOME/SAPHOME 

• TEACH Grant - https://annescollege.fsu.edu/teach-grant