Teacher Credentials in Raleigh, NC

Teacher's License Requirements in North Carolina

North Carolina issues professional educator's licenses in administrative, supervisory, student service, and teaching areas.

These areas include:

• Birth through Kindergarten
• Elementary (K-6)
• Middle Grades (6-9)
• Secondary Grades (9-12)
• Special Subjects (K-12)
• Exceptional Children (K-12)
• Career Education
• Technical Education

In order to receive a professional educator's license, a person must either complete a state approved education program at a regionally accredited college or university or complete another state's approved alternative route to professional educator's licensure. He or she must also meet the federal requirements to be designated as "Highly Qualified" and earn a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college.

There are three ways to qualify for a North Carolina professional educator's license:

Standard Professional 1 (SP1) Professional Educator's License

These licenses are for teachers with up to two years of teaching experience. They remain valid for three years. In addition to the requirements listed above, a prospective educator must also have completed Praxis II Testing for middle grades (6-9), secondary (9-12), or K-12 license areas. This does not apply to Exceptional Children: General Curriculum license areas, for which the teacher will need to have completed the Pearson Test for North Carolina: Foundations of Reading and General Curriculum for Elementary Education.

Standard Professional 2 (SP2) Professional Educator's License

These licenses are for teachers with three or more years of teaching experience. They remain valid for five years. SP2 licenses are issued to teachers who are fully licensed and "Highly Qualified" in another state, have three or more years of teaching experience in another state, and who either meet the North Carolina State Board of Education approved licensure exam requirements or have National Board Certification.

Lateral Entry Teachers in North Carolina

In order to qualify for a lateral entry license, a prospective educator needs to have at least a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university and have one type of each of the following criteria.

First, the teacher will need to have one of the following:

• A relevant degree.
• 24 semester hours of course work in core area.
• A passing score on the North Carolina State Board of Education approved licensure exams for the teaching area, which includes Praxis II for the majority of license areas, Pearson testing for elementary education, Praxis II and Pearson for Special Ed: General Curriculum, and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) for World Languages except English.

Additionally, an educator will also need one of the following:

• A 2.5 grade point average (GPA)
• Five years of experience considered relevant by the employing Local Education Agency (LEA)
• Either have passing scores on Core Academic Skills for Educators, a total SAT score of 1100, or a total ACT score of 24 as well as either a GPA of 3.0 in the major field of study, a GPA of 3.0 in all courses in senior year, or a GPA of 3.0 on a minimum of 15 semester hours of courses completed within the last five years after the bachelor's degree

Standards of Professional Conduct for Wake County Teachers

The professional conduct standards for educators are listed in the State of North Carolina Administrative Code (NCAC) under Title 16 NCAC 06C .0602. The standards establish mandatory prohibitions and requirements for all teachers in the state.

The 13 standards listed include:

• Generally recognized professional standards of federal, state, and local governing bodies.
• High standard of personal character and conduct.
• No conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation in the performance of professional duties.
• No accepting any compensation, benefit, or thing of value other than regular compensation for the performance of any service that the educator is required to render in the course and scope of the educator's employment.
• Treat all students with respect and do not commit any abusive act or sexual exploitation with, to, or in the presence of a student.
• Respect confidential information.
• Do not willfully or maliciously violate the constitutional or civil rights of a student, parent/legal guardian, or colleague.
• Make all reports required by North Carolina General Statute § 115C.
• Do not be under the influence of, possess, use, or consume alcoholic beverages or controlled substances on school premises or at school-sponsored activities involving students, and do not furnish alcohol or controlled substances to students except as indicated in the professional duties of administering legally prescribed medications.
• Do not commit any criminal acts referred to in North Carolina General Statute § 115C-332 or any felony under the laws of the United States or of any state.
• Do not misuse public funds or property, funds of a school-related organization, or colleague's funds.
• Do not perform any act outside the scope of professional practice for which licensure is required.
• Do not directly or indirectly use or threaten to use any official authority or influence in any manner that tends to discourage, restrain, interfere with, coerce, or discriminate against any subordinate or any licensee who in good faith reports, discloses, divulges, or otherwise brings to the attention of an LEA, the North Carolina State Board of Education, or any other public agency authorized to take remedial action, any facts or information relative to actual or suspected violation of any law regulating the duties of persons serving in the public school system, including but not limited to these Rules.

North Carolina Discipline for Teachers

There are nine items listed under Title 16 NCAC 06C .0312 that may be grounds for suspension or revocation of an educator's license. Any one of these violations or violations of the state's Testing Code of Ethics or the Standards of Professional Conduct may be grounds for disciplinary action.

The North Carolina State Board of Education can suspend or revoke a license for any of the following reasons:

• Fraud, material misrepresentation or concealment in the application for the license
• Changes in or corrections of the license documentation that make the individual ineligible to hold a license
• Conviction or entry of a plea of no contest, as an adult, of a crime if there is a reasonable and adverse relationship between the underlying crime and the continuing ability of the person to perform any of his/her professional functions in an effective manner
• Final dismissal of a person by a local board pursuant to North Carolina General Statute § 115C-325(e)(1)b
• Final dismissal of a person by an LEA under North Carolina General Statute § 115C-325(e)(1)e
• Resignation from employment with an LEA without 30 work days' notice, except with the prior consent of the local superintendent
• Revocation of a license by another state
• Any other illegal, unethical, or lascivious conduct by a person, if there is a reasonable and adverse relationship between the underlying conduct and the continuing ability of the person to perform any of his or her professional functions in an effective manner
• Failure to report revocable conduct as required

Find a Teacher's License Lawyer in Raleigh

Are you a teacher in North Carolina who is facing possible disciplinary measures for an alleged criminal offense or some other conduct violation? It is in your best interest to seek legal representation for assistance in protecting your educator's license and your future.

Clifford Law Group fights on behalf of teachers in Durham County, Wake County, and Orange County. You can have our Wake County teacher's license attorneys review your case as soon as you call (919) 441-1799 to set up a consultation.