Each state has its own laws regarding emergency teacher certification requirements, and they may even evaluate the needs of a particular district on a case-by-case basis and adjust those requirements accordingly. In Kansas, for example, mid-career professionals in a field related to what they plan to teach may apply for what is called a Restricted License, which will allow them to teach under the condition that they begin coursework in the field of education. The New York State Department of Education typically requires that teachers earn a master’s degree within 5 years of starting work in a public school district. Under an Emergency COVID-19 teacher certificate program, however, NYSDE lifted that requirement through September 2022.
Many states also routinely experience ESL teacher and foreign language teacher shortages, and to fill those gaps, often offer emergency licenses to professionals who have taught abroad or who are multilingual.