Teacher Certification
All teachers in Missouri must complete specific requirements within their first four years of teaching to upgrade their initial teaching certificate to a professional certificate. Our Human Resources office can answer questions you may have about your certification.
Requirements
- Complete four years of Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) approved teaching experience.
- Participate in a district-provided mentoring program for two years. Your school will assign an appropriate teacher to be your mentor;
- Participate in a beginning teacher assistance program (BTAP) offered by a Missouri college or university, Regional Professional Development Center (RPDC), or professional teacher organization such as MNEA, MSTA, MAESP, or MOASSP; Please note that BTAP is a two-year program requirement as of the 2024-2025 school year.
- Successfully complete 30 contact hours of professional development for an IPC upgrade; successfully complete 90 contact hours of professional development for an ICEC upgrade. This may include college credits (One semester hour equals 15 contact hours of professional development);
- Successfully participate in your employing school's annual Performance Based Teacher Evaluation process;
- Develop and implement a professional development (growth) plan that is on file with the district.
BTAP
Pattonville partners with the Missouri Teacher Development System (MTDS) to host on-site BTAP Programs for teachers.
Contact
Ida Cothrine in Human Resources for any questions about your certification status or upgrade process
Dr. Tammy Hasheider, Director of Secondary Education, for any questions regarding mentoring or BTAP programming.