No matter which subject you teach, you'll need to get your teaching license before you're allowed to teach in Colorado. All teacher candidates need to: have a bachelor's degree or higher, complete a state-approved teaching program, demonstrate 24 semester hours of course work requirements and pass the Praxis II test. Your degree must be from a regionally accredited college or university. Once you've met the basic requirements, you will be finger-printed, submit to a criminal investigation, and will have to fill out and submit your online teacher license application.
Alternative certification is available to those who did not complete an undergraduate or graduate degree in education. To receive your teaching license through the alternative route, you'll need a bachelor's degree or higher, completion of 24 semester hours of required content and a minimum 2.6 GPA. Alternatively, you can seek to pass the Colorado State Board of Education-approved content exam for the endorsement you seek. Alternative certification programs usually take 1-2 years of post-college education and can be completed at local teacher licensing centers or at accredited colleges or universities.
K-12 Colorado teaching subjects are divided into "endorsement areas.'' ESOL teacher applicants fall into the linguistically diverse and bilingual education category. In order to become certified as an ESOL teacher, you'll need to pass the linguistically diverse or diverse bilingual education content exam. A passing grade is considered anything 220 or higher.
Although Colorado teachers aren't required to have a master's degree, obtaining a master's degree in bilingual, ESL, or ESOL education can further your chances of getting hired as a teacher in Colorado after getting your license and certification. Because most K-6 education programs include a master's nowadays, you're program may already include a master's program. Also, keep in mind that individual counties, towns, and cities hire teachers, even though licensing and certification is overseen by the state. Individual districts may have additional requirements.