In Maryland, the state’s public pre-kindergarten initiatives stand out for their commitment to embracing children from underprivileged sectors, including those facing homelessness. This endeavor for inclusivity strives to guarantee developmental parity for all children, no matter their personal challenges, so they can advance on equal footing with their classmates. The regional education authorities are required to accept every qualifying child that seeks enrollment, emphasizing Maryland’s resolve to champion early learning.
Additionally, Maryland extends a helping hand to families of modest means with young children through the Child Care Scholarship Program. Studies have shown that participants of this program tend to perform better academically, with effects lasting until middle school. The credit for this accomplishment goes to the skilled and committed preschool educators and leaders who rigorously apply the state’s Department of Education curriculum and engage with the Maryland EXCELS Rating & Improvement System.
Embarking on a career as a preschool teacher in Maryland involves dedication, but the impact is significant and enduring. Data from the Department of Education suggest that well-trained and passionate teachers can make a transformative difference in the lives of children as young as four, impacting their future long-term. For those looking to pursue this rewarding educational path, here are the steps to become a preschool teacher in Maryland:
- Complete a Degree and Teacher Preparation Program;
- Pass the Necessary Examinations;
- Apply for Your Maryland Teaching Certificate in Early Childhood Education;
- Maintain and Upgrade Your Maryland Teaching Certificate.
Embarking on this journey ensures that you are well-prepared to contribute to the positive development of young children in the state of Maryland.
If you’re interested in becoming an early childhood educator, you can explore how to become a preschool teacher in Maryland, while also considering the requirements and process for becoming a kindergarten teacher in North Carolina.
Maryland’s Preschool Teacher Certification Requirements
Certified preschool teachers in Maryland hold a special certification in Early Childhood Education. The initial step on your journey to becoming a certified preschool teacher in Maryland is to successfully complete a bachelor’s degree program that is recognized and approved by the Maryland State Department of Education. A list of approved programs is available for reference on their official website.
However, if you opt to attend a teacher preparation program that is not approved in Maryland, or if you obtain your bachelor’s degree from an out-of-state institution or an online school, you can still be eligible for certification as a preschool teacher in Maryland.
To achieve this, you must meet specific coursework requirements to qualify as an Early Childhood Education certified teacher in Maryland. There are two primary degree options for aspiring preschool teachers in Maryland:
Bachelor’s Degree with a Major in Interdisciplinary Studies or an Academic Field within Early Childhood Education:
- A minimum of a bachelor’s degree is required;
- The coursework must include 12 semester hours in science and math, along with 9 semester hours in social studies and English.
OR
Bachelor’s Degree with 48 Hours of Coursework in a Content Field:
- A minimum of a bachelor’s degree is necessary;
- You should complete 12 semester hours in science and math, along with 9 semester hours in social studies and English.
In addition to these requirements, all early childhood teachers in Maryland must also finish 12 semester hours in approved reading courses. A list of these courses is available on the official website. (It’s worth noting that you can exempt yourself from this requirement by passing the Praxis II Teaching Reading: Elementary Education exam with a minimum score of 162).
Furthermore, you are required to complete 27 hours of coursework in each of the following areas at the early childhood (birth through age 3) level:
- Human learning;
- Child development;
- Inclusion of special needs students;
- Teaching methodology;
- Processes and acquiring reading skills;
- Assessing students;
- Materials for teaching reading to perform a task, read for information, and gain literary experience;
- Use of reading assessment data to improve teaching;
- Best practices in reading instruction, including the cuing systems of syntactic, semantics, and graphophonics.
It’s important to note that at least 50 percent of the coursework mentioned above must be taken at the same college or university.
Additionally, Maryland law stipulates that to become a certified preschool teacher in the state, you must also fulfill a teaching experience requirement. This experience can meet one of the following qualifications:
- A supervised experience (student teaching) in a public or private school at the prekindergarten/kindergarten age level;
- One year of full-time teaching experience in a public or private school at the prekindergarten/kindergarten age level.
Meeting Maryland’s Preschool Teacher Exam Requirements
In the pursuit of becoming a certified preschool teacher in Maryland, it is imperative to satisfy specific examination criteria, in addition to fulfilling the educational and experiential prerequisites mandated by the state. These examinations encompass both fundamental skills assessments and subject-specific content evaluations, all of which are administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS).
Basic Skills Tests
Irrespective of your chosen certification area, all teacher candidates in Maryland must successfully pass fundamental skills examinations as a prerequisite for teaching certification. The three essential tests that must be successfully completed are as follows:
- Core Academic Skills for Educators: Reading (A passing score of 156 is required);
- Core Academic Skills for Educators: Writing (A passing score of 162 is necessary);
- Core Academic Skills for Educators: Mathematics (A passing score of 150 is mandatory).
Alternatively, Maryland acknowledges the following examinations as substitutes for the Core tests, provided you have already passed them:
- GRE revised General Test (taken after September 2011) – A composite score of verbal and quantitative sections totaling 297;
- GRE test taken before September 2011 – A composite score of 1000;
- ACT – A composite score of 24;
- SAT Reasoning Test taken before April 1995 – A combined math and verbal score of 1000;
- SAT Reasoning Test taken between April 1995 and January 2005 – A combined math and verbal score of 1100;
- SAT Reasoning Test taken after 2005 – A combined math and critical reading score of 1100;
- Content Area Exams.
Moreover, to attain certification as a preschool teacher in Maryland, you are required to successfully pass content-area examinations pertinent to your field of expertise. These content assessments encompass:
- Early Childhood: Content Knowledge (A passing score of 160 is essential);
- Principles of Learning and Teaching: Early Childhood (A passing score of 157 is required);
- Ensuring your proficiency in these examinations is a crucial step in your journey toward becoming a certified preschool teacher in the state of Maryland, equipping you with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide quality education to young learners.
Applying for Maryland Early Childhood Certificate
hen the time comes to initiate your application for a Maryland teaching certificate in the field of Early Childhood Education, the process can be efficiently conducted online. To begin, you will need to create an account on the designated platform and proceed with your application, including the online payment of applicable fees. Additionally, you will receive clear instructions outlining the essential documentation you must submit to the Maryland State Department of Education. These documents typically include:
- An official, sealed transcript from your Maryland teacher preparation program, confirming your successful completion of all mandated requirements;
- Score reports from your ETS examinations, demonstrating your proficiency in the required examinations;
- A comprehensive cover letter containing your personal information, including your name, address, social security number, date of birth, email address, and the specific area of certification you are pursuing.
This process ensures that you are well-prepared and equipped to embark on your teaching journey in Early Childhood Education in the state of Maryland, setting the stage for a rewarding and impactful career in educating young minds.
Maintaining and Enhancing Your Maryland Teaching Certificate
As an established preschool teacher in Maryland, it is essential to proactively maintain and potentially upgrade your teaching Professional Eligibility Certificate (PEC) to continue your career development. This progression is achieved through a commitment to ongoing professional development.
Continuing Education for Maryland Preschool Teachers
To uphold the validity of your PEC, you are required to engage in Continuing Professional Development (CPD). Over a five-year cycle, you must accumulate a minimum of six hours of course credits. Collaborating with your school district, you will devise an individualized professional development plan that aligns with your career goals and responsibilities. CPD courses, tailored to meet the needs of educators, will be made available through your school district.
For those currently employed within the Maryland school system, the renewal of your PEC is typically managed by your respective school district. However, if you are not currently affiliated with a Maryland school system but intend to renew your PEC, you must take the following steps:
- Submit a cover letter containing your personal details, including your name, address, and social security number;
- Provide sealed official transcripts as evidence of having completed 6 CPD credits within the past five years;
- Include a $10 check or money order payable to MDSE (Maryland State Department of Education);
- Mail the aforementioned documents to the Certification Branch at the following address: Maryland State Department of Education, Certification Branch, 200 W Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD 21201. Once your renewal request is processed, your renewed PEC will be dispatched to your designated address.
Maryland Child Care Credentialing Program
Furthermore, Maryland offers a credentialing program tailored for individuals working in or managing child care and preschool centers not affiliated with the public school system. The Maryland Child Care Credential Program acknowledges varying levels of training and experience and provides credentials based on these tiers. These credentials serve as a testament to your expertise and qualifications in the field and can enhance your career prospects in early childhood education.
Level 1 Requirements:
Education: To meet the national Child Development Associate (CDA) licensing/registration standards, you will need to fulfill the following criteria:
- Complete 120 hours of professional education;
- Accumulate 480 hours of professional experience;
- Compile a professional portfolio;
- Experience: No prior experience is necessary;
- Once you have obtained this credential, there is no annual training requirement to maintain it, except for any mandatory updates needed to keep your CDA credential current.
Level 2 Requirements:
- Education: To qualify for Level 2, you need to complete 45 clock hours of Core of Knowledge training, with a minimum of 20 hours focused on child development;
- Experience: No prior experience is necessary;
- To maintain this credential, you are required to complete 12 hours of continuing training each year.
Level 3 Requirements:
- Education: To achieve Level 3, you must complete 90 clock hours of Core of Knowledge training, with at least 20 hours dedicated to child development and an additional 20 hours in curriculum methods;
- Experience: You need to have 1 year of experience, although one year of college can be substituted for one year of experience;
- To sustain this credential, you must complete 18 hours of continuing training annually.
Level 4 Requirements:
Education: To reach Level 4, you should complete 135 clock hours of Core of Knowledge training, distributed as follows:
- 45 hours in child development;
- 20 hours in health, safety, and nutrition;
- 30 hours in curriculum methods;
- 10 hours in community engagement;
- 15 hours in professionalism courses;
- 15 hours in special needs courses;
- Experience: You must have 2 years of experience;
- To keep this credential valid, you are obligated to complete 24 hours of continuing training each year.
Higher levels of certification are attainable for individuals holding bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees with over two years of experience.
Maryland Preschool Educator Salaries
The Maryland Department of Labor anticipates a 7.9 percent growth in prekindergarten teaching and administrative positions between 2016 and 2026. This growth will result in nearly 1,000 annual job openings for teachers and close to 100 for administrators, a combination of newly created positions and attrition in existing roles.
According to the 2018 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, preschool professionals in Maryland earn median salaries that align with the national average. Where the state truly stands out is in offering competitive compensation for those further along in their careers. Salaries in the top 25 and top 10 percentiles for both administrators and teachers exceed the national averages by more than $10,000:
- Preschool Administrators: $47,140 – $75,820 – $102,140;
- Preschool Teachers: $31,680 – $44,880 – $66,820;
- Preschool Special Educators: $57,810 – $69,900 – $86,690.
In 2019, the Maryland State Department of Education was granted $10.6 million through the Preschool Development Birth through Five program, a federal initiative aimed at enhancing and improving early childhood education services. This funding is expected to have a positive impact on the salaries of early childhood education professionals throughout the state.
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
The outskirts of the Washington D.C. metropolitan area rank as the sixth-highest paying region in the nation for preschool teachers, based on 2018 BLS data. Here are some institutions in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area that offer competitive salaries to preschool educators:
- Montgomery County Public Schools;
- Bright Horizons;
- One World Preschool;
- The Goddard School;
- Silver Spring Day School;
- Evergreen Montessori;
- Francis International School;
- Wesley Nursery School;
- Cedar Lane Nursery School;
- Bethesda Co-Op Nursery School;
- Beth El Preschool.
Salaries in this area vary as follows:
Preschool Administrators
- Median – $57,490;
- 75th Percentile – $82,080;
- 90th Percentile – $115,440.
Preschool Teachers
- Median – $34,390;
- 75th Percentile – $45,390;
- 90th Percentile – $69,420.
Special Education Preschool Teachers
- Median – $74,200;
- 75th Percentile – $96,050;
- 90th Percentile – $122,540.
Baltimore
Baltimore offers a diverse array of both public and private preschool employment opportunities, with competitive compensation packages for educators.
Notable institutions in Baltimore include:
- Baltimore City Schools;
- Baltimore Montessori Public Charter School;
- Grace Preschool;
- Y Preschool;
- Redeemer Parish Day School;
- Ner Damit Montessori Preschool;
- La Petite Academy;
- A Child’s Place;
- The Goddard School;
- Bolton Hill Nursery.
Preschool educators, early childhood special educators, and administrators in public schools and private learning centers in the greater Baltimore area can expect salaries within the following ranges:
Preschool Administrators
- Median – $42,280;
- 75th Percentile – $50,330;
- 90th Percentile – $72,990.
Preschool Teachers
- Median – $30,410;
- 75th Percentile – $44,120;
- 90th Percentile – $62,330.
Special Education Preschool Teachers
- Median – $58,120;
- 75th Percentile – $69,240;
- 90th Percentile – $87,980.
Salisbury
Salisbury also provides substantial employment opportunities for prekindergarten educators, with some of the leading employers in the area being:
- Wicomico County Public Schools;
- Asbury Child Development Center;
- Faith Baptist School;
- Parkway Preschool;
- Wicomico Day School.
Preschool teachers and administrators in Salisbury-based schools can anticipate salaries within the following brackets:
Preschool Administrators
- Median – $34,980;
- 75th Percentile – $52,410;
- 90th Percentile – $60,640.
Preschool Teachers
- Median – $25,350;
- 75th Percentile – $31,450;
- 90th Percentile – $68,900.
Hagerstown
For those in Hagerstown, major employers in the prekindergarten education sector include:
- Washington County Public Schools;
- Hagerstown Children’s School;
- John Wesley Preschool;
- Lifehouse Learning Center;
- Head Start of Washington County;
- Bright Eyes Learning Center.
Salaries for preschool teachers and administrators at preschools and learning centers in Hagerstown typically fall within these salary ranges:
Preschool Teachers
- Median – $30,650;
- 75th Percentile – $39,610;
- 90th Percentile – $49,910.
Conclusion
Becoming a preschool teacher in Maryland is a rewarding career path. It allows you to have a significant impact on children’s lives from the early stages. While the process may sound lengthy or complicated, it’s designed to ensure teachers are well-prepared and qualified to provide the best education for Maryland’s children.