Teacher Preparation & Certification

INSPIRE Texas a nationally rated educator preparation program operated through Region 4 Education Service Center. Region 4 ESC serves over 1.2 million students in the Houston metro area. The state is divided into 20 regions with service centers established by the Texas Legislature to assist all local school districts, charter and private schools.

INSPIRE Texas is dedicated to the success of our candidates! Once you join the program, you will be assigned a high-quality instructor who is an experienced educator. A cyber-coordinator is also available for any technical issues since learning is remote. When you begin an internship, you will be hired by an accredited school district, charter or private school as the teacher of record. During that year of teaching, you will be assigned a local field supervisor who will observe you six times, meet with your mentor and principal, and help develop you into the best teacher you can be! The field supervisor will observe you in person at the school. 

The INSPIRE Texas coursework lasts for 24 weeks. You can specialize in special education, ESL, or bilingual education. The state has added the Science of Teaching Reading (STR) for those seeking:

• Core Subjects EC-6 (Elementary)
• Core Subjects 4-8 (Middle School)
• 4-8 ELAR (English Language Arts) 
• 4-8 ELAR/SS (English Language Arts / Social Studies)

Yes! After completing the coursework, internship, and passing all exams, you will be certified to teach throughout the state. 

Candidates have a university assigned supervisor and a campus mentor who provide support and guidance  during the teacher internship experience. 

Since this training is online and has flexible scheduling, many students complete the program within two university semesters. However, you may move more slowly if that is your preference. If you choose to do a year-long paid internship instead of student teaching, that adds to your time in program completion. 

No textbooks are required. 

All content is provided online through competency-based modules. Once the modules are successfully completed, an internship or student teaching experience is arranged in a Texas public school. 

A cumulative GPA of 2.5 or a GPA of 2.5 in the last 60 hours, a passing score on a content entrance test, a virtual interview, online application, and submission of all transcripts.

Based on the fiscal year 23, the cost of tuition and fees is $7,028.00 plus the $2,000.00 Internship fee. 

Students who enroll in two Alternative Teacher Certification Program courses offered at EWCHEC campus in Hutto may be eligible for a $1,000.00 scholarship. The Texas Workforce Commission may also be able to pay for coursework if you qualify. If you are a military veteran, you may also qualify for some other forms of financial aid. 

TAMUCT provides faculty mentoring throughout the program, plus practice tests and test prep materials for all students at different modalities: online or paper test prep materials, or in-person tutorials, if needed. 

Student may take and pass the TOEFL.

There are four CORE courses of eight weeks each, then students can choose one of two pathways: obtain a full-time teaching position in a two-semester internship or complete an unpaid full-time (five days a week) clinical practice for one semester. In both pathways students will be provided with a university supervisor and a district mentor teacher for support. 

Students can choose to complete all requirements in 2,3, or 4 semesters in the fall, spring, and summer. 

All courses are delivered hybrid, face to face/online, in the evenings for eight weeks except the Internship and Clinical Practice where students are in a classroom full time with select in-person Saturday classes, usually once a month on the campus in Killeen, TX.

The state of Texas requires that all students pass a content test and an education pedagogy test to obtain certification. All EC-6 and English Language Arts/Social Studies 4-8 majors must pass an additional Science of Teaching Reading test. TAMUCT provides test prep materials for all students.

Students are able to pursue their Master of Arts degree (MAT) after completing the ACP component for only four more courses (12 credit hours) which can be completed throughout subsequent terms. 

MCC will provide the necessary coursework and training to prepare you for your first day in the classroom. We will support you with tutoring and job placement assistance. During your first year, you will be enrolled in an Internship class with other first year teachers. You will receive training and guidance from your Internship course, your field supervisor, and school mentor as you put your learning into practice in your actual classroom. 

You will complete a 150-hour content course and a 150-hour pedagogy course prior to starting your internship. These courses are offered in the fall, spring and summer semesters. Some of our candidates become certified in as little as 12 months while collecting a teacher salary for most of that time. You can work at your own pace. 

Content courses are face-to-face and are offered in the evenings in the FAll and Spring semesters, or in the daytime during the summer. 

Internship courses are face-to-face, one Saturday morning per month in the Fall and Spring semesters. 

Pedagogy coursework is asynchronous and online, offered every Fall, Spring, and Summer Semester.

The cost is either $5000.00 or $5600.00 depending on how many exams you pass before you begin teaching. MCC has payment plans available that can defer most of these costs into your first year of teaching. 

While Alternative Certification courses do not qualify for FASFA aid, the Texas Workforce Commission may be able to help you pay for coursework if you qualify for WIOA funds. If you are a military veteran, you may also qualify for some other forms of financial aid.