Requirements to Work as an Early Childhood Teacher in the Chicago Public Schools
An early education teacher should possess a love for children, a lot of patience and a creative mind. In addition to these characteristics, those who wish to work as an early education teacher in the Chicago public schools must meet the certification requirements laid out by the Illinois State Board of Education. These requirements help ensure that early education teachers understand the needs and development of children from birth through third grade.
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Education
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Early childhood teachers in Illinois must complete the Early Childhood Education Program at an Illinois-approved institute of higher learning. The Illinois State Board of Education provides a list of locations that offer the program. Completing an approved program -- which includes a student teaching experience -- ensures that candidates take the appropriate coursework to be certified to teach. Individuals who have completed coursework at an institution in another state must contact one of Illinois' Regional Offices of Education to determine if all coursework requirements have been met or if additional courses must be taken.
Testing
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Prospective early childhood educators in Illinois must take the Assessment of Professional Teaching (APT) at the early childhood level (birth to grade 3), a content-area test for early childhood education. This test has four subsections, each of which is graded on a scale of 100 to 300. At the time of publication, prospective educators must achieve a score of 240 or higher on each subsection to pass the test. The Illinois Certification Testing System administers all tests and provides a list of testing dates and locations, as well as free study guides for each exam.
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Other Requirements
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In addition to meeting all education and testing requirements, prospective early childhood teachers must submit Illinois and FBI fingerprint cards and undergo state and national background checks. First-time and out-of-state teachers are awarded an initial certificate. An initial certificate lasts four years, during which time an early childhood teacher must either earn an advanced degree, complete an approved induction program or obtain national board certification.
Documents and Fees
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Prospective early education teachers must submit an application for a certificate to their local Regional Office of Education. City of Chicago teachers are directed to mail their applications to the State Board of Education office in Springfield instead of the Cook County office. At the time of publication, a $30 application fee in the form of a cashier's check must accompany all applications.
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References
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