So I’m thinking of majoring in education and I really want to go OOS, but I want to return to my home state after college. However I’ve heard that it can be much more difficult to be hired by one state if you are trained to be a teacher in another. Is this true? How hard is it? Thanks!
Each state department of education sets the policy about teacher certification. Start with the requirements for certification in the state where you want to begin your career. If they are significantly different from the requirements of the state where you would be studying, then you will have to work out how to make up those deficiencies before you can become certified. Some states are more picky than others.
^^Agree. OP, just do your research. My D was OOS and wanted to come home to teach. She kept a copy of what home state required to be sure she included correct courses at her school, even if not required by her major or by that state. She ended up deciding not to try and get certified as undergrad so she is now in MAT program as initial certification but she wouldn’t have been able to go straight into that program after graduation if she hadn’t been aware of specific pre-requisites - one that she couldn’t get at her school she took while home over the summer.
The hardest thing may be practical concerns. My D will finish this summer and has already passed the PRAXIS stuff so she can look for jobs even before she finishes. All the local districts are having job fairs on different Saturday mornings. She is getting to hit a lot of schools in one place. Of course job fairs aren’t only way to get hired, but the local people do have an edge. Is your OOS choice close enough so that you can get home for these type of events?
Another approach is reciprocity. To illustrate:
- X attends the flagship public university in state A and thereby receives a license to teach in A.
- However, X want to teach in state D.
- A and D do not have reciprocity, but A has reciprocity with B, B with C, and C with D.
This approach works; it requires careful research, some inconsequential fees, and a LOT of “paperwork diligence.” However, it can legitimately provide teacher licensure (although state “reciprocity chains” between all states are not universally available).
@scmom12 no, Im in California and I want to go to the east coast 
just something I have to think about. I get that it is a lot more practical, but at the same time I really want to go out east! I guess it’s just something I have to keep thinking about
People do it all the time, so go where you want to go to school. As I said just try to do your research about what states reciprocate where you are and what coursework you might have to make up. Some states will take you provisionally especially if you teach in a high need area, as long as you fulfill that state’s requirements in a timely fashion.
RESEARCH!! TONS of it. One school I think of automatically is Rivier in New Hampshire- they have the coursework for like 42 states or something.
Otherwise NYS has one of the more difficult teacher certification processes and can usually transfer to many states without too much trouble