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An Alternative Pathway to Teacher Certification in Charleston

 

TeachCharleston

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: Middle Level or Secondary Math, Science, English, or Social Studies, the CTE Academic Areas of Agriculture, Business/Marketing, Computer Science, Family & Consumer Science, and Industrial Technology, in addition to K-12 Art, Music (all areas), French, and 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

  • Bachelor’s Degree or higher from an accredited college or university with a minimum of 21 credit hours;
  • Transcripts with a minimum overall 2.75 GPA OR completion of all required coursework with a minimum grade equivalency of “C”;
  • Writing sample;
  • A passing score on the South Carolina Required Examinations.

TeachSC

Our partners at TeachSC have free tools and resources, including one on one coaching calls, to help you decide if this is the right pathway for you.  PLUS, they can help you apply to the TeachCharleston pathway (and they provide financial support, too!).  Access these resources by signing up here!

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:

Step 4: Eligible candidates are considered for TeachCharleston Fellowship through an Initial Interview and Writing Prompt. 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. 

TeachCharleston Fellows who are hired for a teaching position with CCSD will be asked to complete a Confirmation of Employment (COE). The COE is shared with the South Carolina Department of Education for certification purposes.

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. The following overview includes information about each year of the program. The timeline provided begins after employment is confirmed. 

Academic Year One:
Fellows attend and successfully complete the following as indicated:
Summer Cohort (hired by July 1)
Basic Training I – 10-day training in July
Summer Institute I – 5-day training in August
Monthly Fellowships 
Quarterly Seminars 
 
Fall Cohort (hired July-September): 
Basic Training I and Fall Institute- training held October to December (to include weekdays, evenings, some Saturdays)
Monthly Fellowships
Quarterly Seminars

Academic Year Two:
Fellows attend and successfully complete the following as indicated:
Basic Training II – 10-day training in June
Summer Institute II – 3-day training in August
Quarterly Seminars
PLT exam

Academic Year Three:
Fellows attend and successfully complete the following as indicated:
Summer Institute III – 1-day training in August
Complete a Focus Project
Request for Professional Certificate