Alternative Certification

The Mobile County Public School System employs non-certified applicants in core critical need areas when there are no available certified applicants. If you do not currently hold an Alabama Professional Educator Certificate, you must meet the eligibility requirements as outlined by the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE). The Alabama State Department of Education is the issuing authority of all teacher certificates in the state of Alabama.

Alternative certificate processes exist as a means for individuals with a non-teaching education background to gain professional certification to teach in public schools when there is a shortage of traditional certified teachers. Applicants must meet qualifications to qualify for long-term employment. 

To be considered for an alternative route to certification, a request to hire must be submitted to human resources by a principal or authorized hiring manager. Applicants MUST have obtained at least a bachelor's degree from an appropriately accredited institution of higher education and have a minimum grade point average of 2.50 on a bachelor's degree OR 3.0 on a master's degree. The applicable praxis exam is required to be passed. For individuals with a GPA between 2.0 and 2.49, a higher alternate passing score on the Praxis is required. All other MCPSS school board mandated new hire requirements must be met for official hire.

PRAXIS INFORMATION MAY BE FOUND HERE: https://praxis.ets.org/state-requirements/alabama-tests.html

If you do not hold Professional Teacher Certification issued by the Alabama State Department of Education in the teaching field for which you are seeking employment, and you wish to pursue alternative certification, please contact our office by emailing Krystal Smith at kvsmith@mcpss.com or Amber Jones at asjones@mcpss.com