How to Become a Teacher in Houston

If you know what you’d like to teach in school—the grade level and subject matter—your next steps are to:

• Identify your teacher certification area (next section).

• Select an educator preparation program that offers your desired certificate.

• Apply to your educator preparation program to learn how to work with a student in school.

Not sure if you’re eligible for the Texas teaching program you want? Check out our Teaching Program Application Requirements Guide to learn all about what you’ll need for your school program applications. 

If you're open to jobs teaching different subject areas and grade levels, get a feel for what teaching certifications are available by browsing the next section. 

To narrow down which grade levels and subject areas, consider state-designated shortage areas, or a school that serves students from a low-income student community, where the need for candidates is the greatest. Your employment prospects will be strong, since there’s extra demand for these subjects, and you'll know you're making a difference in the students’ childhood and provide help where it is needed most. There is often room for growth as well, as opportunities to become superintendent and principal may arise in your career. 

According to the Texas Education Agency, for the 2021-2022 school year, high-needs subject areas are:

• Bilingual / English as a Second Language

• Career and Technical Education

• Computer Science and Technology Applications

• Mathematics (high school)

• Science

• Special Education (1)

If you’re already a certified educator—in Houston or elsewhere—and want to make a difference in a student’s childhood education, your next step is to learn more about your eligibility to teach in Texas. You can start by reviewing the Texas Education Agency certification page.

This resource will help determine your pathway to teaching in Texas if you are:

• An out-of-state educator looking to teach in Houston.
• An out-of-country educator looking to teach in Houston.
• A resident educator looking to renew your teacher certification.

Core subject certifications allow you to teach multiple subjects at the elementary and middle school levels.

If you want to teach middle school, we think it's smart to get certified in Core Subjects 4-8. Why? Because you’ll be able to teach more subjects, you'll be more marketable as a teacher to school employers! 

A core single subject certification allows you to teach a particular core subject at the middle school and high school levels. For example, while the multiple core subjects certification (see the tab above) lets you teach English Language Arts, math, science and social studies, with a single core subject certification you'll specialize in and teach just one subject.

Middle school teachers have the option to get certified in either multiple core subjects or a single core subject. If you want to teach high school, you should get certified in a single core subject.

An enrichment subject certification allows you to teach a single enrichment subject area in pre-K through high school classrooms. In the table below, "EC" stands for Early Childhood. "PK" stands for pre-kindergarten.

In Texas, specialty teaching areas require “supplemental” certifications. This means that you must first get a “base” initial teaching certificate for a grade and subject area, then complete additional coursework to receive your supplemental certification. For example, if you want to teach bilingual education to middle school students, you would earn a core subject certification as your "base" teaching certificate. You could then add a bilingual supplemental teaching certification on top of your core subject certification. (4)

Check with the teaching programs you’re interested in to understand how they prepare teachers in specialty certification areas, and to get additional details about the supplemental certification process.

Career and technical education certifications allow you to teach these subject areas at the middle school and high school levels. 

How long your teacher certification takes will depend on your background and the type of program you choose. 

Some colleges and universities offer combined bachelor’s degree and certification programs, which let you earn both a degree and teaching certificate in four years (give or take). 

If you already have a bachelor’s degree, you can typically complete a certification-only program in a year or less. A master’s program may take longer, usually 1-3 years to complete. Alternative certification programs can take 1-2 years.

Most online programs are comparable to in-person programs in terms of length. 

Just like “traditional” in-person programs, certification-only programs will be faster than degree programs. You can usually earn your teaching certificate in about 12 months, while a master’s degree and certification can take 1-3 years. A bachelor’s degree and certification will typically take 4-5 years to complete.

Most online certification programs still require you to teach in-person for your student teaching, or practical experience. When you search for teaching programs, you’ll want to filter for “hybrid” programs, rather than “in-person” programs.

You may have heard rumors about teacher pay, but Houston schools offer competitive starting salaries, plus comprehensive benefits for all educators. As a first-year teacher in Houston ISD, you’ll make at least $56,000 a year, and more with additional credentials like a master’s degree! 

To see a full Houston teacher salary schedule, visit the Houston ISD salary tables page. For more information on salary, benefits and other teacher perks, check our Salary and Benefits resource.

To teach in Texas public schools, you’ll eventually need a teaching certificate. If you have at least a bachelor’s degree, but don’t have a teaching certificate, you may be able to earn your certification through a teaching residency, also called alternative certification. Research shows that teachers who complete a residency are more likely to stay in the profession and to stay in the same district or school. (7) 

In a residency program, you’ll earn a salary or stipend, teach alongside an experienced teacher in a classroom and take coursework after the school day. Depending on your program, you may be able to complete the coursework for your alternative certification program online. 

Learn more about teaching residency programs and alternative certification in Houston at our residency programs page.