2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHTEEN - Education (§§ 1 — 3510-3520) › PART I - Public Schools (§§ 1 — 596d) › Chapter 13 - Teachers’ Qualifications and Removal (§§ 211 — 274p) › § 264 - Certification of teachers—General qualifications of candidates

Candidates to obtain a teacher’s certificate shall meet the following qualifications:
(1) To be a citizen of the United States of America.
(2) To have unimpeachable moral conduct and not appear in the Registry of Persons Convicted of Sexual Crimes and Child Abuse.
(3) To present a certificate of good health regardless of any physical disability the applicant may have.
(4) To have attained eighteen (18) years of age.
(5) To hold a Normal School diploma or its equivalent, or a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in elementary school teaching issued by the University of Puerto Rico or other duly accredited college or university institution to teach in elementary schools; a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Education or its equivalent issued by the University of Puerto Rico or other duly accredited college or university institution to teach in secondary schools; and in order to hold supervisory and technical positions, said candidates must at least hold a degree as Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science with a major in Education or its equivalent issued by the University of Puerto Rico or other duly accredited college or university institution with the experience and credit in specialized techniques in which they have majored or in School Administration and Supervision that the regulations may fix. Vocational teachers shall meet the minimum qualifications of academic training prescribed in the Commonwealth Vocational Education Plan and the qualifications fixed by regulations; the equivalence of diplomas and degrees required for the issuing of a teacher’s certificate shall be determined by the academic and professional training of the candidate according to the standards set by the University of Puerto Rico or by duly accredited colleges and universities. The musical techniques and pedagogical studies pursued in the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico shall be acceptable exclusively for the certification of music teachers at the different levels and categories. The specialized studies in artistic techniques and pedagogy pursued in the School of Plastic Arts of the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture shall be acceptable exclusively for the certification of art teachers. The specialized studies in dramatics and/or theatrics pursued in the University of Puerto Rico or in duly accredited colleges or universities shall be acceptable exclusively for the certification of theatrical teachers.
(6) The measure of experience required by the regulations.
A person who does not meet the citizenship requirement but who resides legally in the United States and meets all other requirements shall receive a teacher’s certificate to teach only in private schools.
History —June 21, 1955, No. 94, p. 488, § 5; May 26, 1967, No. 66, p. 259; May 27, 1970, No. 40, p. 95; Mar. 23, 1971, No. 8, p. 16; June 9, 1972, No. 91, p. 232; July 13, 1978, No. 41, p. 504; July 18, 1986, No. 152, p. 476; Feb. 18, 2011, No. 9, § 1.