An Alternative Pathway to Teacher Certification in Charleston

Thank you for your interest in TeachCharleston, Charleston County School District's alternative certification pathway for talented, knowledgeable, and passionate individuals who wish to pursue South Carolina teacher certification. Currently, TeachCharleston offers the following certification fields:

Primary Level
 

• Early Childhood (PK-3)
• Elementary (Grades 2-6)

Middle Level (Grades 5-8)

• Middle Level Language Arts
• Middle Level Mathematics
• Middle Level Science
• Middle Level Social Studies

High School (Grades 9-12)

• Agriculture
• Business and Marketing Education
• Computer Science
• English
• Family and Consumer Science
• Industrial Technology Education
• Mathematics
• Science
• Social Studies

K-12

• Art
• English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
• Music
• Special Education: Multi-Categorical
• World Languages (French or Spanish)

The three-year teacher development program provides training and professional learning in a cohort setting to prepare and support selected participants for classrooms in CCSD while working as a teacher in one of the district's schools.

Eligibility Requirements

• A conferred bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum overall GPA of 2.75. For applicants seeking certification in areas other than Special Education: Multi-Categorical, ESOL, Early Childhood, and Elementary, at least 18 credit hours in the applicant’s intended teaching field with a grade of “C” or higher are also required.
• Applicants must not have previously completed student teaching in a traditional teacher preparation program or earned a teaching certificate.
• A passing score on the South Carolina required certification examinations.

TeachCharleston Application Process

Step 1: Prior to beginning the online application, please complete the TeachCharleston Interest Survey.

Step 2: Access the South Carolina Department of Education's (SCDE) website to complete the Steps to Apply for Certification. Indicate you are seeking certification through Teach Charleston in the online application through the CATS portal.

Step 3: Access Charleston County School District’s (CCSD) Online Application system to begin the application process. Online applications may only be submitted once per educator but may be updated through the application system.

Upload the following documents to your CCSD application:

• Professional resume;
• Copy of all undergraduate and graduate transcripts;
• Copy of Praxis score report (South Carolina Required Examinations);
• Three professional references.

Step 4: Eligible candidates are considered for TeachCharleston Fellowship through an Initial Interview. Eligible candidates will be contacted via email for appointments. 

Upon successful completion of the selection process, eligible candidates will be issued a TeachCharleston Statement of Eligibility (TCSOE) from CCSD. 

 Employment with CCSD

After receiving a TCSOE from CCSD, applicants are eligible to seek employment in CCSD as a TeachCharleston Fellow. 

TeachCharleston Fellows may find it helpful to review job availability through the CCSD application system, Applitrack. Fellows are required to secure employment with CCSD prior to participation in TeachCharleston Basic Training I. 

In addition to a one-year employment contract with CCSD, TeachCharleston Fellows also submit the TeachCharleston Agreement to Human Resources. 
 

TeachCharleston Fellows – Program Overview

TeachCharleston is a three-year program that begins once employment is confirmed. Each year includes required training and activities designed to support fellows’ development.

Academic Year One:

Summer Cohort (hired by July 1):

• Summer Basic Training I – 15 days in July
• Monthly Fellowships
• Quarterly Seminars

Fall Cohort (hired July–September):

• Fall Basic Training I – training in October (weekdays, evenings, and some Saturdays)
• Monthly Fellowships
• Quarterly Seminars

Academic Year Two:

• Summer Institute II – 10 days in June
• Quarterly Seminars
• Praxis: PLT Exam

Academic Year Three:

• Summer Institute III – 1 day in August
• Complete a Focus Project
• Request Professional Certificate

TeachSC

Don’t let finances hold you back from your teaching dreams! Our partners at TeachSC can help. Sign up with TeachSC before you submit your teaching program application, and then apply for their $100 fee reimbursement and enter to win a $1K scholarship!