The three main requirements for aspiring teachers to complete before becoming a K-12 teacher in Maine include:
Aspiring teachers who have a bachelor's degree in a field other than education that does not include a teacher preparation program can seek to qualify for certification by having their college transcripts assessed by the Maine Department of Education. This alternative route includes returning to school to obtain the necessary courses from a teacher preparation program.
Those with licenses from other states can also apply to have their transcripts and teaching experience evaluated. Aspiring teachers who pass the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators, which is the Praxis Subject Assessment that applies to the aspiring teacher's chosen area of teaching, may qualify for state certification. In some cases, the Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching may be necessary as well. Passing one or all three of these Praxis tests may be required for admission into a teacher preparation program.
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There are two main licensing levels for those looking to obtain Maine teacher certification
Aspiring teachers having recently graduated or begun their careers in education will usually first seek to obtain the 2 year provisional license. It requires a bachelor's degree, a completed teacher preparation program, and a passing score on the relevant types of Praxis tests.
After holding and teaching with the provisional license for 2 years (which can be extended by one year if necessary), teachers can apply to receive the professional license (renewed every 5 years subject to various teacher orientation and professional development courses).
The Maine Department of Education has approved the following colleges with teacher certification programs:
There are also several community colleges from which credits can be transferred into one of the above mentioned 4-year colleges.
A bachelor's degree is required for teaching in Maine, with each age and subject group requiring different courses to be completed.
| Certificate Sought | Provisional Certificate Requirements |
Professional Certificate Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary school | 6 semester hours in each of the following: Math, English, Science, and Social Studies |
Adds 3 semester hours of an additional 6 undergraduate elementary education courses |
| Secondary school | 24 semester hours completing subject-specific coursework |
Adds a 3 semester hour course in teaching exceptional students and a 3 semester hour course on secondary education methods |
Student teaching is required to obtain a professional certificate in both elementary and secondary education unless the aspiring teacher has completed at least 2 years of teaching with a provisional license.
Take an assessment and focus on the areas that need the most practice.
There are two Praxis tests that aspiring teachers can pass in order to obtain teacher certification in Maine.
A third test, the Principles of Learning and Teaching, can be taken for those aspiring teachers who have not completed a state-approved teacher education program. This test also has different passing scores depending on the age group that will be taught, but they range between 157 and 160.
The Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators Exam is available to all Maine teachers to take and consists of reading, writing, and mathematics. The Praxis reading test requires test takers to read several passages and analyze, summarize, and synthesize what was read in order to show reading comprehension. Different question formats such as multiple choice and select-in-passage are used.
The Praxis Core writing test consists of two writing assignments that show the test taker's ability to write in both argumentative and informational styles. Several select-response questions are asked about proper researching and editing techniques.
The Praxis Core math assesses mathematical reasoning ability and includes number entry and select-response questions. A calculator is provided.
The purpose of the Praxis Subject Assessment (Praxis II) is to evaluate an aspiring teacher's skills and knowledge of the specific subject area that they hope to teach in. The Maine Department of Education decides which Praxis Subject Assessment are necessary for which teaching subject area, and there are more than 90 available. The format and the length vary but most consist of both multiple choice and essay questions and can range between 1 and 4 hours.
One of the Maine's teacher certification requirements include passing a criminal background check as well as fingerprinting, applied for and scheduled through the Maine Department of Education website.
Maine's teacher licensing process involves creating a MEIS account through the Maine Department of Education website. There, candidates will be able to fill out their teaching license application, upload and submit documents, pay the application fee, and check on the status of their application. The following will be asked for:
Aspiring teachers should be prepared to wait 4-6 weeks for approval. The application does not expire. If the Maine DOE denies the initial application, the aspiring teacher can work to complete the necessary courses and submit the missing forms.
There are some additional options for obtaining a Maine teaching license:
Out-of-State teachers can apply for teacher certification in Maine. The Maine Department of Education uses the Interstate Agreement to determine eligibility. The candidate needs to have been teaching 5 of the last 7 years in the same age and subject as they're applying for and possess an active teaching license for that same age and subject. They also need to submit their college transcripts to show that they attended a state-approved preparation program, a resume that shows their teaching experience, a background check, and fingerprints (can be mailed). If the out-of-state teacher has not completed the Praxis tests required for Maine aspiring teachers, they will need to take those and submit their test results as well.
A teacher who has a provisional teaching certificate can apply for the professional certificate after 2 successful years of teaching, though the applicant needs to finish and submit any missing coursework required. The professional license needs to be renewed every 5 years through the MEIS on the Maine Department of Education website, along with the application fee and background check.
There are several other ways in which a teacher can advance their career. They can choose to pursue an advanced degree such as a Master of Arts in Teaching, which leads to an approximate $5000 per year salary increase. Professional development that teachers can pursue outside of a graduate degree is the NBPTS (National Board for Professional Teaching Standards), which is rewarded by a small increase in salary.
Finally, teachers can gain relevant skills and knowledge by pursuing advanced certification in specialized fields such as Special Education or Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.
Salary and other information for teachers in Maine is presented in the following table:
| Number of schools in Maine | 617 (548 elementary, 206 high schools) |
| Average student Attendance | 90.3% (national average is 93.1%) |
| Annual Salary for Teachers | average: $52,000, ranging from $35,000 for a first year teacher with a bachelor's degree to $70,000 for a teacher with a master's degree and 30 years of teaching experience. |
| Number of teachers in Maine | 18,400 |
| Teacher job openings per year | 98 Kindergarten, 336 Elementary, 337 Secondary |
| Areas with teacher shortages | General Elementary (K-9), Early Childhood (Pre-K) English Language Arts (7-12), Teacher of Students with Disabilities, Mathematics (7-12) |
| Teacher benefits | Summers off, affordable health insurance, retirement planning (full retirement at 65 with 5 years of teaching, or at any age with 25 years of teaching) |
The Maine Department of Education will give a conditional teaching certificate, valid for one year, on a case by case basis. Aspiring teachers who have completed their bachelor's but are missing just a few courses, may apply for this type of certificate.
A composite grade of 468 is required to pass the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators Exam (156 on reading, 162 on writing, and 150 on mathematics). Passing grades for the Praxis Subject Assessments vary by subject.
Yes, the Praxis tests can be taken at home for those who live in the United States. The test is done on the computer and a human proctor is used to monitor the test taking process.
Yes, teachers are needed in Maine, especially Early Childhood, Elementary, and English and Mathematics Secondary teachers. There are approximately 800 Elementary and Secondary school teacher job openings every year. Demand for teachers is expected to grow by 7% every year.
Teachers in Maine make an average of $52,000 per year. First year elementary school teachers with a bachelor's degree will make approximately $35,000, whereas experienced high school teachers with master's degrees can make up to $70,000. Salaries increase with experience and level of education and professional development.
Maine does not have teacher reciprocity, but uses the Interstate Agreement to determine eligibility. As long as out-of-state teachers meet all the requirements for Maine teacher certification, they will be approved.