How to Become a Teacher in Connecticut

In May 2023, the Connecticut Examiner reported that Connecticut school districts faced an immediate shortage of 1,300 teachers. The state has especially high needs for STEM, foreign language, and special education teachers.

If you’re wondering how to become a teacher in Connecticut, an online bachelor’s in education is a great place to start. However, you can follow other paths to be able to teach in this state. Keep reading to learn about the different options for starting — or maintaining — your career in education in the Constitution State.

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

Your path to Connecticut teacher certification will unfold across four main steps. The process begins with your college education and concludes with your certification application.

The most common path to Connecticut teacher certification involves completing a state-approved educator prep program. Approved programs typically lead to a bachelor’s or master’s degree in education. You can study as a generalist or specialize in a field like early childhood education, bilingual education, or special education.

To check a program’s standing, research it with the Connecticut government’s Bureau of Certification. The agency maintains an updated list of approved educator preparation programs in Connecticut.

Connecticut also offers alternate paths to certification based on full-time professional teaching experience. But you’ll still require a relevant bachelor’s degree to qualify.

Connecticut’s state-approved educator prep programs involve student teaching components. These requirements help you gain valuable experience in live classroom settings.

Under state regulations, you need at least 10 continuous weeks of full-time student teaching experience to qualify for Connecticut teacher certification. You must acquire this experience under the direct supervision of a fully trained and certified teacher.

You must also complete at least 12 semester credits of an approved educator prep program prior to your student teaching experience.

You must pass assessment tests in your desired teaching subject and grade level to earn certification. The following providers offer tests in various endorsement areas to aspiring teachers in Connecticut:

CSDE requires teachers to pass an endorsement assessment specific to their area of expertise. Endorsement categories include:

After meeting all your education, student teaching, and exam requirements, you’ll be ready to submit a formal application for Connecticut teacher certification. The Connecticut State Department of Education’s Bureau of Certification oversees this process. The certification application functions like a final verification of your qualifications.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects little to no change in nationwide demand for teachers from 2022-2032. It projects an employment growth of 1% for K-12 teachers. That growth rate projection extends to kindergarten and elementary teachers, middle school teachers, and high school teachers.

However, according to the Connecticut Department of Labor, Connecticut is projected to outpace national trends — by a good bit. The CTDOL projects that jobs for teachers in Connecticut will grow by 7.3% from 2020-2030.

According to Teach Connecticut, which is backed by the Connecticut State Department of Education, the state’s certified teachers earn a median salary of $81,185.

The BLS publishes role-specific salary breakdowns, which are summarized in the chart below. On the whole, Connecticut teachers significantly outearn their counterparts in other U.S. locales, earning over $10,000 more per year than the national average teacher salary.

Becoming a Teacher in Connecticut: Career Profile

Note: The insights on this page — excluding school descriptions — were reviewed by an independent third party compensated for their time by BestColleges. Page last reviewed February 16, 2024.