Frequently Asked Questions

All public school teachers in the state of Texas are required to become teaching certified. To become certified to teach in Texas, you will need to obtain a bachelor's degree, complete a teaching program, and pass certification exams. More information can be found on the TEA website. Dallas ISD is proud to offer an alternative pathway to becoming certified to teach, called the Dallas ISD Alternative Certification Program.

The first part of our selection process is to fill out your online application. Please complete as much of the application as possible and make sure all your information is current and correct. Our goal at Dallas ISD is to place an effective teacher in front of every child, so we are searching for leaders and heroes at all levels to accomplish this mission. If you have any question please don't hesitate to ask us here or you can send an email to futureteacher@dallasisd.org.

If you hold a standard certificate issued by another state or United States territory and are seeking certification in Texas you must apply for a review of credentials. Credentials include official transcripts from all colleges you have attended, copies of all standard teaching certificates, and proof of oral English language proficiency if your degree was earned outside the United States. 

Dallas ISD greatly values our international candidates, who have served Dallas ISD's critical shortage areas including: bilingual education, special education, mathematics, and science. If you hold a teaching certificate from another country, you must apply to have your out-of-country credentials reviewed through TEA. In most cases, if an international candidate did not earn an undergraduate or graduate degree from the United States, he or she will also need to pass the TOEFL exam before becoming eligible to teach in the district.

The Dallas ISD H-1B Visa Program allows the district to recruit and retain international educators for critical shortage areas. As the regulations for H-1B visas continue to evolve, the Visa Department is working to maintain the program at a level that is feasible, compliant, and financially stable. Therefore, there will be a cap instituted for the 2021-2022 school year and only available in the areas of elementary bilingual. If you would like to inquire about H-1B visas, our recruitment process, or the number of visas still available, you may contact visa@dallasisd.org.

According to Texas Education Agency, there are three ways to fulfill the English language proficiency:

1. Completion of an undergraduate or graduate degree at an accredited institution of higher education in the United States, not including US Territories.
2. Completion of an undergraduate or graduate degree earned at an institution of higher education in a country outside of the United States approved by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) or;
3. Verification of minimum scaled scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT).
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Dallas ISD Substitute Teachers play an important role in improving student achievement. In addition, substitute teaching provides an opportunity to gain experience and see first-hand what it takes to be a successful teacher in Dallas ISD. Substitute teacher candidates are required to have a bachelor's degree but are not required to be certified. Please visit the Substitute Page for more information.

Absolutely. Dallas is one of the fastest-growing cities in America but still has a “home” feeling to it, and it’s not entirely urban. The partnership between Dallas ISD and Spain is a cultural exchange program where the goal of making students global citizens can be realized. The teachers from the Spain program are experienced and meet the requirements of Dallas ISD’s bilingual program. In the past several years, we have recruited hundreds of teachers from Spain, Mexico, Colombia and other Latin American countries who have made Dallas their home!