Virginia Teacher Requirements: What You Need to Teach in Virginia

When you're thinking about teaching in Virginia, a U.S. state with standardized educator licensing rules and a growing demand for qualified teachers. Also known as the Commonwealth of Virginia, it requires all public school teachers to hold a valid teaching certification, an official credential issued by the Virginia Department of Education that proves you meet state standards for knowledge and classroom readiness. This isn't optional—no school will hire you without it. But here's the thing: it's not just about a degree. Virginia looks at your background, your test scores, and even how you plan to teach, not just what you know.

Most people think you need a four-year degree in education, but that’s not the only way. Virginia offers alternative certification programs, structured pathways for career changers and non-education majors to become licensed teachers without going back to college for another degree. If you’ve got a bachelor’s in biology and want to teach high school science, you can skip the education major and go straight into a state-approved program that trains you while you work. These programs usually take 1–2 years and include classroom mentoring. You’ll still need to pass the Praxis exams, a series of standardized tests used by Virginia and other states to measure subject knowledge and teaching skills. The core ones are the Praxis Core (reading, writing, math) and the Praxis Subject Assessment for your specific subject. Some districts also require a background check, fingerprinting, and CPR certification.

Substitute teachers have different rules. You don’t need full certification to fill in for a day, but you do need at least a high school diploma and a passing score on the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA). For long-term subs—more than 45 days—you’ll need to start the certification process. And if you’re wondering about pay, Virginia’s average teacher salary hovers around $60,000, but it varies wildly by district. Fairfax pays more. Rural counties pay less. Experience and advanced degrees bump it up, but the real payoff isn’t the paycheck—it’s the impact.

What you won’t find in the official checklist? The quiet stuff. Like how schools care more about your ability to manage a classroom than your GPA. Or how many districts now prioritize candidates who can teach students with learning differences, not just those with perfect test scores. Virginia’s education system is shifting—from rigid rules to real-world readiness. That’s why you’ll see posts here about online teaching tools, teacher burnout, and how to survive your first year. This isn’t just about passing exams. It’s about knowing what works in a real classroom, day after day.

Below, you’ll find real guides from teachers who’ve been through it—how to pass the Praxis without cramming, which certification path saves you time and money, and what to expect when you walk into your first Virginia school. No theory. No fluff. Just what you need to know.