If i have a degree in secondary education, does that mean i can teach any high school course?

Question

I want to major in physics or biology

Answer 1

No you cannot teach any subject. Education is a states issue, so each state will have different requirements, but what is in common is that all states issue subject specific certification.

To get your teaching certification, you have to show subject competence - usually through testing or majoring in the subject. This then becomes your secondary subject field. I am certified in biology and I wanted to teach mathematics. To do this, i had to get re-certified by passing the math tests or retaking math courses to have a major equivalent.

What the other posters are suggesting can "sometimes" be true but is out of the norm. In severe shortage situations, districts can offer other subjects under what is called an emergency credential. But it is increasingly difficult to qualify for....you have to have a minimum of units in the subject and is only granted for one year or less.

There aren't any states where simply your degree is it. there are other requirements necessary. (im talking public here)

Good luck!

Answer 2

As long as its public its run by the state not the district, the district has to follow state laws. In a pinch a district may have you teach something you are not qualified to teach, but due to NCLB very few schools are doing this unless they HAVE to.

In Missouri you have to have a area of study. This would be Math, English, Social Science, Science, PE, Art or Music. However these all cover many studies within these subjects. You used to get your degree in a specific field such as Biology, however due to a lack of Science teachers they have made Science one general certification.

So since you are interested in Science you would get you certification in Secondary Science, you could then teach physics, biology or chemistry. Often what you teach is based on your specialty or what the school needs. Sometimes seniority has a lot to do with it (teachers that have been there longer choose what they want to teach and you get whatever is left). In smaller schools they often only have 1 or 2 teachers who teach all of the Sciences (or Arts, Math, Social Science, etc.).


Now this does vary from state to state so you need to see what your state requires. You can check with a four year college that offer the degree or your state's Department of Education.

Science teachers are in high demand so you probably wouldn't have much difficulty finding a job.

Good Luck.

Answer 3

A degree in Secondary Education does not mean that you can teach any high school course. Since Secondary Ed. is high school, in some states like Ohio grades 7-12 now called AYA, you have to select a content area, such as Science, which is what you are interested in. Once you get your degree, and pass the state tests, you will only be certified to teach within your field. For example, I'm certified to teach Integrated Social Studies in Ohio, which is any social studies course in grades 7-12. I am currently working on certification in Middle Childhood Math/Social Studies, which is 4 - 9. Once I complete this I will only be certified to teach within one of these two subject areas within the age level, class levels that they are composed of.

Answer 4

I agree with what most of the posters have said here . . . under No Child Left Behind districts are required to fill their positions with "highly qualified" teachers. Ultimately that means you've passed your Praxis test(s) (or PLACE, or whatever any particular state uses) and achieved a certain score on them, as well as taken college courses which teach you methods appropriate to your content area.

Some districts will hire you to teach a content area in which you're not "highly qualified" but those are typically fairly desperate situations.

"Highly Qualified Teachers: To be deemed highly qualified, teachers must have: 1) a bachelor's degree, 2) full state certification or licensure, and 3) prove that they know each subject they teach.#

State Requirements: NCLB requires states to 1) measure the extent to which all students have highly qualified teachers, particularly minority and disadvantaged students, 2) adopt goals and plans to ensure all teachers are highly qualified and, 3) publicly report plans and progress in meeting teacher quality goals.

Demonstration of Competency: Teachers (in middle and high school) must prove that they know the subject they teach with: 1) a major in the subject they teach, 2) credits equivalent to a major in the subject, 3) passage of a state-developed test, 4) HOUSSE (for current teachers only, see below), 5) an advanced certification from the state, or 6) a graduate degree."

Answer 5

Maryn is right. Having an education degree gives you the legal right to teach any subject but you should have 'teachable subjects'. Many schools out of desperation and staffing pressures might ask you to teach just about anything but that doesn't mean that that is a good thing.

Answer 6

In my school district you get certified in a particular area for grades 6-12 (as opposed to elementary, which is just one certification for all elementary teachers). So for example, if you want to be a HS science teacher you would get certified in secondary science and only teach science courses. But a different HS teacher might be certified in secondary math or English and only teach courses in their area of certification.

So I guess it depends on your district. Go to your state department of education website and find a link to their certification information. Look at the areas they offer certification in.

Answer 7

You need to have a degree in Physics or Biology to teach those subjects in high school.

The Praxis covers specific grades and specific courses and you have to pass the test for those to get credentialled.

Answer 8

Not in most school districts I've worked in (Texas and Missouri). If you have a degree in secondary education, you are also required to pick a "concentration" equivalent to a minor in a specific area. So you'd want to do that in Science.

Answer 9

Legally, yes, at least in the school district where I grew up and the one where I live now, in different states.

However, the school generally will not ask that you teach outside your field of study except in extreme cases where it's that or let you go. You might, for example, be asked to teach another hard science, but probably not English or Phys. Ed.

Answer 10

As discussed above, many states require a prospective teacher to demonstrate mastery of the subject by taking the appropriate Praxis exam. Although these exams are not "rocket science", they are pretty serious and a casual person is not going to pass the exam outside of his or her expertise without a lot of work.