Making a career change can be a difficult decision, but becoming a teacher can bring immense rewards and fulfillment. It offers professionals an opportunity to make a profound difference in the lives of young people.
Come to us with your real-world experience, and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) will help you create a rich learning environment that ignites curiosity among students.
Opportunity - We are one of the top school districts in the nation in terms of size, innovations, and reputation. We offer a range of school experiences that will enable you to positively impact students. And we offer professional development that will help you to continually grow, professionally and personally.
Relationships - Teaching is not only about imparting knowledge; it's also about building relationships with students and colleagues. FCPS promotes collaborative learning communities in its schools. You'll be part of a team in a school where students want to learn and teachers want to teach.
The Virginia Department of Education's Career Switcher Program has all the information you need to transition into teaching. The Virginia Center for Troops to Teachers helps current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces become licensed teachers. Virginia’s Community Colleges offer EducateVA, a fast-track, alternative teacher licensure program. iteach provides an alternative route to licensure in the state of Virginia and is the only non-institution of higher education accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
We’d like you to meet some of our FCPS employees. Maybe you’ll be inspired by their stories. Maybe you see some of yourself in them. But we know that, if you decide to join FCPS, you will be developing your own story and strong relationships, and we promise to support you as you write that story.
Mark Deaton was in marketing and sales for 25 years before deciding to switch careers. After four months, not years, in a program offered by EducateVA, Deaton became a teacher with FCPS. “The job is extremely rewarding," says Deaton. "I’ve seen it happen; teachers can change lives.”
Catherine Lee had a successful career in marketing at a financial institution in Hong Kong. She moved to Fairfax County because of the top-tier special education programs for her son. Seeing the amazing progress her son made in a few short years inspired Lee to become a special education teacher herself.
Will Cogan had never thought about becoming a teacher. Jackson Miller planned on pursuing a career in marketing. Seth Spero was working in the private sector for a year after college, but wanted a more fulfilling career. Coaching sports teams helped them realize that working with students was their passion.
