How to Keep a Texas Teaching Certificate When Staying Home With a Baby
- 1). Meet requirements for continuing education credits. Texas standard educator certificates require a minimum of 150 credit hours of continuing professional education over five years for classroom teachers. If you are a reading specialist, librarian, counselor, master teacher, administrator or other specialized teacher, you must record 200 credit hours over five years. It is your responsibility to keep a record of your credit hours with documentation from credit providers.
- 2). Keep up on legal obligations. You won't be able to keep your certificate if you are behind on student loans or child-support payments. You also must not have a criminal history.
- 3). Pay appropriate renewal fees when necessary. If you renew your certificate on time, the fees are $20. If you renew late, you are charged $30 instead.
- 4). Reactivate your certificate, if needed, before you go back to work. If you have let your certificate become inactive, which may happen when staying home with a baby, you will need to pay $40 for reactivation. You can apply for reactivation through the State Board for Educator Certification, at Sbec.state.tx.us, under the link "SBEC Online for Educators."
- 5). Explain your situation, if needed. There are case-by-case exemptions and reactivation procedures that may fit your situation. The SBEC executive director can decide whether you qualify for hardship or other exemptions to certification requirements, if you cannot meet the requirements because of your new baby.
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