Qualifications needed for Teachers

Each school year, Region 13 and participating school districts will cooperate with the Ministry of Education in the selection of a number of qualified teachers from Spain who may be hired under local contract in elementary, middle and/or secondary classrooms in school districts in Texas.

Who can apply? Entry requirements:

Teacher participants in the Texas-Spain Visiting International Teacher Program (VIT program) must meet the following requirements

• Spanish passport / Spanish nationality
• Advanced proficiency in spoken and written English or an equivalent rating
• A conferred university degree, acceptable teaching credentials
• Completion of at least two years of successful teaching experience in school education in Spain
• Be working as a teacher in Spain at the time of the application or be completing a an advanced degree related to teaching subject field
• No criminal record

Certification process:

The Texas Education Agency and Region 13 certify the eligibility of the teachers from Spain based upon examination of the teachers’ teaching experience and university records provided by the Education Office of the Embassy of Spain. Exchange teachers are required to have a minimum of two years of teaching or related professional experience to be eligible for the exchange visitor’s visa. The Ministry ensures that teachers provide the TEA-Region 13 with the appropriate documentation to verify the professional experience which they hold. The Embassy of Spain also conducts and certifies the absence of a criminal record in Spain on the part of the teachers soliciting the credential and provides assurance of the teachers’ health status through a signed health certificate.

Candidate teachers are expected to gain and exhibit the following characteristics:

• Resourcefulness and flexibility when encountering change
• Experience with cultural diversity
• Experience with international travel and/or work experiences
• Knowledge of the system of education in the United States
• Familiarity with the historical reality of the Spanish language and culture in the western hemisphere, especially in Mexico and the southwestern United States