Administrative Rules 8710: Teacher and Other School Professional Licensing
Administrative Rules 3512: School Personnel Licensing
On July 1, 2018, Minnesota moved to a tiered licensure structure. Information regarding current requirements can be found below. Additional information will be provided after rulemaking efforts are completed.
The Board of School Administrators oversees licensure of Principals, Superintendents, Directors of Special Education, and Directors of Community Education. Visit their website for more information.
An individual without a bachelor's degree can teach in CTE and career pathway fields if they meet one of three other criteria aligned to their field: 1) Professional Certification, 2) Associate's Degree, or 3) 5 Years of Relevant Work Experience. This recommended list is a starting point to begin issuing licenses on July 1, 2018. An individual who wishes to apply for a tiered licensure with a different professional certification or associate's degree can apply and request board consideration of their credentials. If the board approves the credential, they can add the credential to this list. An individual or organization that disagrees with a credential on this list should provide their concerns in writing for the board to consider removing credentials from the list.
According to Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 124D.13, subdivision 11, effective May 2008, a school board must employ licensed teachers for its Early Childhood Family Education programs. Below are lists of applicable licenses. Please note that some licenses (old rule) that are no longer available as initial licenses can be renewed by persons already holding those licenses.
To teach parents in an ECFE program one of the following licenses is required:
To teach young children in an ECFE program one of the following licenses is required:
When a school district is unable to obtain a fully licensed teacher to teach children and/or parents in Early Childhood Family Education programs, the school district may apply for a variance. Applications for all special permissions may be received and granted in accordance with the rules and statutes governing these permissions.
PELSB has created this guidance document.
If you trained as a teacher outside the United States or its territories, you may be eligible for a license to teach in Minnesota. Prior to starting the application for licensure, you will need to submit materials, including transcripts of credits, pattern of training, and degrees awarded, to a PELSB-approved evaluation service.
More information about approved evaluation services and the process to becoming a licensed Minnesota teacher can be in found in the Foreign Credential Evaluation document.
Please note: A job offer is required to qualify for a Tier 1 or Tier 2 license.
There are multiple pathways to a teaching license designed specifically for out-of-state teachers. The most common pathways are outlined below.
Tier 4: An out-of-state teacher is eligible for a Tier 4 license if the teacher:
Voluntary Paraprofessional Credential, MN Rule 8710.9000
Paraprofessional Credential Competency Grid
For any school that is not a Title I program, the school district may establish its own qualification requirements for paraprofessionals.
After hiring any paraprofessional, the school district must provide the initial training required in Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.363, subdivision 3. For a paraprofessional who provides direct support to students with disabilities, the district must provide additional training specified in Minnesota Statutes, section 125A.08, subpart (c).
Tiered Licensure: see how rulemaking could affect related service licenses.
See Related Services Licensure Programs.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Academic and Behavioral Strategist (ABS) License
TeachSpEdMN.org - MDE's Special Education Division, in collaboration with Regional Low Incidence Facilitators, BrightWorks, and Minnesota Institutes of Higher Education, is excited to annouce the launch of a new website, TeachSpEdMN.org. This website will serve as a resource for prospective and current special education teachers to explore, become, grow, and thrive in the teaching profession. The vision of this project is to recruit, support, and retain excellent special educators and to help shift the public narrative about teaching special education. The website has been designed to grow along with the field of special education in Minnesota, so please feel free to share your feedback and recommendations via the link on the site.
The goal of the Troops to Teachers Program (TTT) is to attract qualified military personnel to enter teaching as a second career. Information about applying is available from the Proud to Serve Again website. This national organization manages the program; you do not need to contact the Minnesota Department of Education for this program.
Financial assistance may be provided to eligible military personnel as stipends to help pay for teacher training costs or as bonuses. In order to meet a key goal of the program, participants who accept the stipend or bonus must agree to teach for three years in schools that serve a high number of students from low-income families, once they are licensed.
The Troops to Teachers Program (TTT) provides positive role models for our public school students; information, financial assistance, counseling and employment referral through a network of state and regional offices. These offices help match school district openings with competent and experienced TTT applicants. Visit the Proud to Serve Again website to learn more and apply.
Contact: 888-LINKVET for information on reimbursement for fees related to licensure.
