Iowa supports teacher pipeline through nontraditional pathways to licensure

The pathway to teaching doesn't have to be a traditional one. For experienced professionals who are looking for a new career, Iowa offers several innovative options for becoming a teacher and making a difference in students' lives.

"With multiple pathways to teacher licensure, we can bring professionals with a wealth of knowledge and experiences from other fields into Iowa classrooms," said Mike Cavin, chief of the Bureau of Educational Examiners at the Iowa Department of Education. "These nontraditional pathways not only enrich classroom instruction for students but also help to support Iowa's strong teacher pipeline and low rate of teaching vacancies."

Currently, Iowa offers the following teacher pathways:

• Teacher Intern Program: This pathway requires a bachelor's degree, typically in the content area that will be taught. In the first year, the candidate takes primarily online courses, which enables the candidate to continue working. In the second year, the candidate becomes a full-time intern - actually teaching in the classroom - while receiving full teacher pay.
• Content Area Specialist Authorization: This pathway requires a master's degree or higher in an endorsement area, and teaching would be limited to the degree. The candidate receives a three-year authorization to teach while taking pedagogy coursework online. Afterwards, the educator receives authorization every five years.
• Native Language Teacher Authorization: This pathway requires a bachelor's degree in any field, and the candidate must be fluent in their native language other than English. The candidate completes testing to ensure full comprehension of their native language. The candidate will receive a three-year teaching authorization and must take pedagogy classes. Further authorization is granted every five years.
• Career and Technical Authorization: This pathway is focused on individuals who are experts in career and technical positions, which includes anything from welding to culinary arts. The pathway requires a number of hours in the field for which the candidate would be teaching. No college degree is necessary. While completing pedagogy coursework, the educator would be put on a three-year authorization, followed by five-year increments thereafter.

During 2025-26, 123 educators received authorization to teach through the Career and Technical Education Authorization pathway. An additional 99 educators qualified to teach through the Teacher Inter Program. The Content Specialist Authorization provided authorization for 10 teachers, and Native Language Teaching Authorization assisted eight teachers.

The Department is committed to providing several pathways to teacher licensure and continues to look for new opportunities that open doors to the teaching profession.

To learn more about the different pathways to teaching in Iowa, visit the Department's Licenses and Authorizations webpage.