Here’s how to become a math teacher in Vermont: complete an approved educator preparation program or the AOE’s Peer Review route, pass Praxis Core (or an approved alternative) plus Praxis Middle School Mathematics (5164) or Mathematics (5165), then apply online in VLSE for a three-year Level I license. It costs $200 plus a $15 record check.
Start by choosing your grade band. Vermont licenses math teachers under two endorsements, Middle Grades: Mathematics (code 19B, grades 5-9) and Mathematics (code 11, grades 7-12), and that choice decides which Praxis math test you take (AOE endorsement codes). The Agency of Education (AOE) Licensing Office issues every license, under rules set by the Vermont Standards Board for Professional Educators (VSBPE). These four steps cover how to become a math teacher in Vermont, in order.
- Earn a Math Degree and Complete an Approved Preparation Route
- Pass Praxis Core and the Praxis Math Test for Your Grade Band
- Apply for a Vermont Level I License in VLSE
- Renew Your License and Move to Level II
Step 1. Earn a Math Degree and Complete an Approved Preparation Route
Vermont starts where every state’s math teacher requirements start: a bachelor’s degree and an approved educator preparation program. The traditional route runs through a college or university program at the bachelor’s, post-baccalaureate or master’s level. When you finish, the program recommends you for licensure, and that recommendation is what the Licensing Office looks for (AOE traditional route page, checked October 2026). The AOE keeps a current list of approved educator preparation programs.
Expect your math coursework to include:
- Calculus
- Algebra and trigonometry
- Geometry
- Discrete mathematics
- Probability and statistics
The education side covers teaching methods for math, lesson planning, and teaching students with different needs. It ends with student teaching: a placement in a math classroom near the end of your program, where you teach under the supervision of an experienced, licensed math teacher.
Already Have a Bachelor’s Degree? Consider Peer Review
If you hold a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and already know your math, Peer Review is Vermont’s alternate route to licensure. It isn’t a training program. The AOE assesses what you can already do through an online portfolio of lesson plans, student work samples and reflections, followed by an interview with a panel of licensed educators (AOE Peer Review page, checked October 2026).
You must meet your testing requirements before you apply in VLSE. You can attend the required Peer Review Clinic before or after you apply, but you must complete it before you submit your portfolio. The panel then either recommends you for licensure or gives you a Plan of Action listing what’s still missing. Processing time varies, so check the AOE’s Peer Review timeline and portfolio checklist rather than counting on a set number of months. The $1,200 Peer Review fee is separate from the license fee, and the AOE fee schedule states the legislature has waived it through June 30, 2029. The AOE also notes that many candidates who start Peer Review end up deciding that a preparation program, with real instruction, fits them better.
Teaching on a Provisional License and the Teacher Apprenticeship Program
A district that advertises a math opening and can’t fill it with a licensed teacher can ask the AOE for a provisional license for you. It’s a two-year temporary license, the request has to come from the superintendent, and you can’t start the application on your own (AOE temporary license page). It buys you time to finish a route. It isn’t a route itself.
If you’re teaching on a provisional license, the registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program may let you earn your license on the job. It’s Vermont’s registered K-12 teacher apprenticeship, launched in 2024 by the Vermont Department of Labor with the AOE and the Vermont Rural Education Collaborative. Apprentices work toward licensure through Peer Review. Participation depends on whether your district takes part, so ask its central office (as of October 2026).
Don’t confuse it with Vermont’s Apprenticeship License. That’s a three-year temporary license for educators at career and technical centers in trades and technical endorsements, and it doesn’t cover math.
Already Licensed in Another State
Vermont accepts professional teaching licenses from every US state, commonwealth, district and territory, plus the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), including jurisdictions that haven’t signed the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement (AOE reciprocity page). That isn’t automatic approval. You apply in VLSE, the AOE issues a comparable Vermont endorsement, and you must meet any Vermont-specific requirements. If your license is current and non-conditional, you’re exempt from Vermont’s Praxis Core and Praxis math test requirements (AOE testing FAQ, revised January 2026).
Here’s how the three routes compare:
| Route | Who It Fits | What You Submit | AOE Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approved preparation program | Undergraduates, and degree holders who want coursework and student teaching | Program recommendation, transcripts, test scores | $200 Level I license |
| Peer Review | Degree holders with strong math content and classroom experience | Online portfolio, panel interview, test scores | $1,200 fee waived through June 30, 2029, plus the $200 license |
| Out-of-state license | Teachers with a current, non-conditional license elsewhere | Your current license, reviewed for a comparable Vermont endorsement | License fee on the AOE schedule |
Step 2. Pass Praxis Core and the Praxis Math Test for Your Grade Band
Vermont still requires basic skills testing for initial licensure, as of October 2026. You must show a qualifying score in reading, writing and math, and most candidates do it with Praxis Core. Finish all testing before you apply (AOE testing requirements).
Vermont’s Praxis Core passing scores, per the AOE testing FAQ and the ETS Vermont page (both checked October 2026):
- Core Reading (5713): 156
- Core Writing (5723): 162
- Core Mathematics (5733): 146
You can take all three in one sitting as the Core Combined test (5752), which costs $150 at ETS, or take the subtests one at a time, which helps with retakes.
Alternatives to Praxis Core
You don’t have to use Praxis Core for every subject. The AOE testing FAQ lists approved alternatives, including qualifying SAT, ACT, GRE, ASVAB and ACT WorkKeys scores, a basic skills test you passed for licensure in another state, AP subject tests, and an approved course evaluation, and you can mix them by subject. A score only counts if it meets the FAQ’s cut for that test and test date. For math, that means an SAT Math score of 530 (tests taken after March 1, 2016), an ACT Math score of 18, or a GRE Quantitative score of 144 (tests taken after August 1, 2011). If you’ve attempted a required test at least once and can’t pass it, your preparation program or superintendent can request a waiver under VSBPE Policy N24.
Praxis Mathematics Tests by Grade Band
You also take the Praxis Subject Assessment for your endorsement:
- Middle School Mathematics (5164) for Middle Grades: Mathematics (grades 5-9): passing score 157
- Mathematics (5165) for Mathematics (grades 7-12): passing score 159
Both scores match the ETS Vermont requirements page as of October 2026. Each test costs $130 at ETS and runs 180 minutes with 66 questions. ETS fees are separate from AOE license fees, and your official score reports must reach the Vermont Licensing Office.
Step 3. Apply for a Vermont Level I License in VLSE
Every Vermont license application is completed online in the Vermont Licensing System for Educators (VLSE), so you won’t mail a paper packet. First create a MyVermont account, which you need even if you used the old ALiS system, then register in VLSE. The AOE recommends registering with a personal email address.
A traditional-route application includes:
- Your educator preparation program’s recommendation for licensure
- Official transcripts
- Your Praxis Core (or alternative) scores and your Praxis Mathematics score
- A fingerprint-supported criminal record check, started inside the online application
- The license fee
The Level I Professional Educator License costs $200 and expires June 30 of the third school year it was issued for. That’s a $50 non-refundable processing fee plus $50 for each year of the term. The criminal record check costs $15 as of October 1, 2026 (AOE licensing fee schedule). Once your license is issued, you can apply for math openings in any Vermont public school.
Step 4. Renew Your License and Move to Level II
If you teach in a Vermont school, you renew through your Local Standards Board (LSB) or Regional Standards Board (RSB), a board that reviews your professional learning and recommends you for renewal. If no board serves your school, you renew directly with the AOE (AOE licensed educators page).
Renewal requirements for each endorsement, per the AOE renewal page (checked October 2026):
- Level I renewal (every three years): 3 credits or 45 hours of new professional learning. At least 1 credit (15 hours) must address the knowledge and performance standards for mathematics, and the other 2 fall under Vermont’s Core Teaching and Leadership Standards.
- Level II renewal (every five years): 6 credits or 90 hours of new professional learning, with at least 2 credits (30 hours) tied to the math endorsement standards.
You don’t have to keep renewing Level I. Under Rule 5421 of the Rules Governing the Licensing of Educators, your LSB or RSB (or the AOE, if no board serves your school) can recommend you for a Level II Professional Educator License once you have:
- Practiced in Vermont in the math endorsement for three years under a Level I license
- Completed at least 3 credits or 45 hours of professional learning in the three years before you apply, including at least 1 credit (15 hours) on the math endorsement standards
- Received verification from your current supervising administrator that you’re performing at a professional level
Level II costs $300 and expires June 30 of the fifth school year it was issued for. Vermont has two professional license levels, and there is no Level III.
To see what the job pays at each stage, check our Vermont math teacher salary guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Vermont still require Praxis Core?
Yes, for initial licensure, as of October 2026. You can meet the reading, writing and math requirements with Praxis Core or with an approved alternative listed in the AOE testing FAQ, such as a qualifying SAT, ACT or GRE score, mixed by subject. Teachers who hold a current, non-conditional out-of-state license are exempt.
Can I become a math teacher in Vermont without an education degree?
Yes. With a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, you can complete a post-baccalaureate or master’s preparation program, or apply through Peer Review, the AOE’s portfolio-based alternate route. Either way, you still pass Praxis Core (or an alternative) and the Praxis math test for your grade band.
How much does a Vermont teaching license cost?
A three-year Level I license costs $200 and a five-year Level II license costs $300, and each includes a $50 non-refundable processing fee. Add $15 for the criminal record check. Praxis fees are paid separately to ETS: $130 for each math test and $150 for the Core Combined test.
How long does a Vermont Level I license last?
It expires June 30 of the third school year it was issued for. You renew it with 3 credits or 45 hours of professional learning, or move to Level II after three years of teaching in Vermont under Level I, with the required professional learning, your supervising administrator’s verification, and a recommendation from your standards board or the AOE.
I’m licensed in another state. Do I need Vermont’s Praxis tests?
Not if your license is current and non-conditional. Vermont accepts professional licenses from every US jurisdiction and exempts those holders from Praxis Core and the Praxis math test. You still apply in VLSE, and the AOE issues a comparable Vermont endorsement once you meet any Vermont-specific requirements.
- Grade band first: Middle Grades: Mathematics (5-9) means Praxis 5164 with a 157, and Mathematics (7-12) means Praxis 5165 with a 159.
- Praxis Core still counts: Vermont requires basic skills for initial licensure, with Core scores of 156, 162 and 146 or an approved alternative from the AOE testing FAQ.
- Two main routes: Finish an approved preparation program with student teaching, or go through Peer Review, whose $1,200 fee is waived through June 30, 2029.
- Apply online: Every application goes through VLSE, including the fingerprint-supported record check, and a Level I license costs $200 for three years.
- Two license levels: Level II takes three years under Level I, 3 credits of recent professional learning, an administrator’s verification and a board or AOE recommendation.
Picking a grade band is the quick decision. The slower one is a preparation program that fits a working schedule, and the schools listed here include online and post-baccalaureate math education options built for career changers.