Teaching Math in Louisiana

Louisiana believes, “Great teachers are needed to make students great.” That’s why Louisiana is aggressively and proactively recruiting and training teachers who are on board with this belief. Louisiana has demonstrated its commitment to attracting high-quality educators and improving academic success through an 8 percent increase in teacher salaries over the last ten years and the implementation of a new merit-based pay strategy that rewards teachers for a job well done.

Louisiana offers several grants and loan forgiveness programs to attract what they consider to be the best of the best. They have adopted the Common Core Standards and will begin implementing PAARC testing in the 2014 – 15 school year. Louisiana is determined to ensure their students will be college and career ready and be competitive with their national peers.

Louisiana is known for its grand festivals, unique cuisine, year round warm weather and plenty of things to do outdoors. You can be a part of this phenomenal change and experience some of the most culturally diverse landscapes in the country by becoming a math teacher in Louisiana.

Math Teacher Certification in Louisiana

Math Teaching Qualifications

To earn your Louisiana teaching credential you will have to complete the requisite undergraduate coursework and standardized tests (PRAXIS), as well as a state-approved certification program.

Credentials & Exams

Louisiana issues three levels of teacher certification:

• The first is the Level 1 Professional Certificate (valid for three years).
• The second is the Level 2 Professional Certificate, which is renewable every five years and is issued to teachers with a minimum of three years of experience. Eligible candidates must also pass the Louisiana Teacher Assistance and Assessment Program (LaTAAP).
• The third and final is the Level 3 Professional Certificate, issued to teachers with at least five years of experience in their particular area of certification. Eligible candidates must also pass the LaTAAP and have completed a Master’s degree program.

Alternative Certification for Math Teachers

Louisiana has several routes to a Practitioner License. These opportunities allow teachers to work in the classroom for up to three years (with an annual renewal option) while completing an approved teacher licensing program:

• The Practitioner Teacher program combines intensive coursework – 21 to 33 credit hours depending on the area you plan to teach — with full-time teaching.
• The Master’s Degree Alternate Certification Program requires 33 to 39 credit hours combined with teaching.
• The Certification-Only program can be completed face-to-face or online and does not require a full-time commitment. It does require 80 contact hours of classroom readiness training.