What Does it Take to Get an Alberta Teaching License and Work at CIS？

Professional practice of all Alberta (Canadian) teachers is guided by the Teaching Quality Standard (TQS). Meeting Alberta TQS standard is the first step to apply to become an Alberta certified teacher. Quality teaching occurs when the teacher’s ongoing analysis of the context, and the teacher’s decisions about which pedagogical knowledge and abilities to apply, result in optimum learning for all students. The standard further identifies the competencies teachers must meet in order to hold and maintain an Alberta teaching certificate:

- Fostering Effective Relationships

- Engaging in Career-Long Learning

- Demonstrating a Professional Body of Knowledge

- Establishing Inclusive Learning Environments

- Adhering to Legal Frameworks and Policies

The Alberta teaching certification process is not immediate. After an assessment by Alberta Education, teachers are first certified with an Interim Professional Certification (IPC) that is valid for only 3 years. If they meet all the requirements for Permanent Professional Certification (PPC), the Alberta school authority can then recommend them for a permanent certificate. Credentials and requirements include:

- Minimum of 16 years of formal education, which includes a 4-year university degree with a pre-service teacher preparation program from an approved institution (such as CIS)

- 48 semester hour credits of coursework in professional teacher education courses within a structured teacher preparation program

- 10 weeks of supervised student teaching (practicum) at the elementary or secondary level

To be eligible for a PPC, teachers must have:

- 2 years of full-time teaching (approximately the equivalent of 400 days) in an Alberta accredited school, while holding a valid IPC

- 2 successful, formal evaluations based on the knowledge, skills and attributes for permanent certification outlined in the Teaching Quality Standard

It is very fair to say that indeed, it takes a village to train and certify a teacher that is eligible to work and teach at CIS. With a long and rigorous process that must be adhered to (regardless of any circumstances or situations), CIS works closely with Alberta Education to ensure teachers gain both theoretical and practical experience to fulfil their teaching responsibilities, under the professional supervision of the CIS school leadership team. 

During our teacher hiring process in the 2 school years, the CIS leadership team can only conduct one interview out of 25 resumes (CV) we receive from teachers all over the world. It's not easy to adhere to high teaching quality standards, but in so doing, CIS is more than confident that we can continue to deliver our high-quality Alberta (Canada) curriculum to all our students, both now and in the future.

We’ll share more teacher information for the upcoming school year soon! Stay tuned to CIS social media channels! You’re also welcome to visit us and talk to our professional teaching team! After all, you now know what it takes to become a CIS teacher!