Beginning Teachers (with no previous teaching experience) will be issued an Initial teaching license. This license is issued for three years which will allow time for the new educator to complete the State required Initial Professional License (IPL).
To be eligible for an Initial Professional License, an individual must have done the following:
- Completed a state teacher education program from a regionally accredited college or university, or
- Completed another state's approved alternative route to licensure, met the federal requirements to be designated as "Highly Qualified", and earned a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college.
- Or qualify for an alternative teaching license
All IPLs are required to participate in the Beginning Teacher Support Program. Failure to participate could result in not being eligible to convert the Initial license to the Continuing license, which is the five-year license.
Effective July 1, 2019, if an IPL did not complete the State required testing prior to the issuance of their license, they must ATTEMPT all the required tests during their first year of licensing and PASS all the required tests by the end of their third year of licensing to be eligible to convert their license to continuing. If all tests are not attempted and passed according to State policy, the license will expire. The deadline for passing required exams for Craven County Schools is May 15, in time for a contract recommendation.
