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Educator Certification

Educator Certification

 
 
 
 
 
 

Welcome to Educator Certification!

Certification processes can be complicated and confusing. The certification specialist is here to help you. Please email the certification specialist at certification@leonschools.net if you do not find the answers that you need below or have any additional questions.

Announcements

If you have Elementary Education on your certificate and you want to add ESE or you have ESE on your certificate and want to add Elementary Education, then there is a new fee waiver that covers the cost of the subject area exam and the application fee. You must apply for and be granted the waiver before you register to take the exam and submit the application. Here is the link to the fee waiver website.

Exam Exemptions

  • Update underway - please check back soon!

Renewing an Educator's Certificate

    • Renewal Instructions 2025-2026

    • Renewal Instructions 2025-2026 Former Employees and Retirees

  • In order to use college credits towards renewing a certificate, an official transcript must be in your file with FDOE. If you have not already done so, have an official transcript sent to FDOE.

    • Bureau of Educator Certification
    • Room 201, Turlington Building
    • 325 West Gaines Street
    • Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400

    Once the official transcript is in your FDOE file, follow the appropriate renewal instructions above.

  • You can use a college course that you taught to renew your certificate the same as if you had taken the college course so long as the students in the course received regular college credit. In other words, it cannot be a remedial course. Multiple sections of the same course may only be used as one course for renewal. To document your college teaching, you must get a letter from the college/university that states that you were the instructor of record and has the following information.

    • Course name
    • Course prefix and number
    • Semester hours for each course
    • Dates taught

    The letter should be submitted on college/university letterhead and signed by the registrar or dean. It would be helpful to add your FDOE number to the letter.

    Email the letter to the certification specialist at certification@leonschools.net and follow the appropriate renewal instructions above.

  • As a matter of practice, the certification specialist checks for subject area exams that can be used towards renewing an educator's certificate when processing renewal applications; however, including a note with your payment or sending a friendly reminder email is always appreciated.

    A subject area exam for a subject that is on your certificate may be used in lieu of 60 inservice points. The subject must already be on your certificate at the time you pass the subject area exam, or the subject must be added to your certificate in the same validity period that you passed the exam.

  • Update is underway. Please check back soon.

  • Congratulations on upgrading to a professional certificate!

    The District is not notified when you upgrade your temporary certificate to a professional certificate. You have to send the District a copy of your new professional certificate.

    Email a copy of your new professional certificate to the certification specialist at certification@leonschools.net or the instructional HR analyst assigned to your school. Ask your school who your instructional HR analyst is if you are not sure.

Inservice Trainings

  • Contact Michelle Burkey at burkeym@leonschools.net to see if you qualify for a bonus for completing inservice training.

  • Email the certificate of completion and/or other documentation to the certification specialist at certification@leonschools.net.

  • Email the certificate of completion and/or other documentation (like an agenda or program) to Professional Learning at outofcountyPD@leonschools.net.

  • Email a copy of your transcript that shows credit for the ESOL course to the certification specialist at certification@leonschools.net. Initially, you can email an unofficial copy of your transcript that you download from the university's website. The certification specialist will let you know if an official copy is needed.

  • Trainings for ESOL, Reading, and teaching students with disabilities (SWD) have bankable credit.

  • The following types of trainings for students with disabilites (SWD) meet the SWD renewal requirement.

    • behavior management
    • curriculum
    • instruction
    • evaluation/testing

    Trainings that are procedural or legal in nature (e.g., matrix training, 504 training, IDEA training) do NOT meet the SWD renewal requirement.

  • Contact your former district(s) and/or school(s) and request that your in-service records be transferred to Leon County. The records, including the Inservice Transfer form, should be emailed to certification@leonschools.net. The certification specialist will email you once the records are received.

  • Email a request to transfer your in-service records to certification@leonschools.net. Include the following information in your email.

    • Name
    • Name while employed with LCS if different
    • District or school where the records should be sent
    • Name and email address of the person the records should be emailed to

Adding Subjects and Endorsements

  • The District is not always notified when a subject or endorsement is added to your certificate.

    Email a copy of your new certificate to the certification office at certification@leonschools.net or the instructional HR analyst assigned to your school.  Ask your school who your instructional HR analyst is if you are not sure.

  • Many subjects can be added to your certificate by only passing the subject area exam for that subject. Use the following instructions to add the subject to your certificate if you passed the subject area exam and specific instructions for this subject are not listed below. These instructions are for teachers holding a PROFESSIONAL certificate only. If you would like to add a subject area to a temporary certificate, please reach out to the certification office for further instructions.

    • Instructions for Adding a Subject by Exam

    • Autism Spectrum Disorders Endorsement Instructions

    • Civics Seal of Excellence Endorsement Instructions

    • Educational Leadership Instructions

  • The process to add an ESOL Endorsement to your certificate depends on where you took the endorsement courses.

    Many educators who are required to have an ESOL Endorsement (300 hours) take their ESOL Endorsement courses through a school district or in-service provider like Beacon, FDLRS, NEFEC, PAEC, Schultz Institute, etc.  If you took all of your ESOL Endorsement courses through in-service trainings, then use the following directions.

    • ESOL Endorsement Instructions Using In-service Trainings

    If you graduated from a state-approved education program and are required to have an ESOL Endorsement (15 semester hours), then you took your ESOL Endorsement courses in college. If you took all of your ESOL Endorsement courses through a college or university, then use the following directions.

    • ESOL Endorsement Instructions Using ONLY College Courses

    If you have a combination of college courses and in-service training, or you're not sure which directions to follow, then email the certification office at certification@leonschools.net.

  • The process to add a Gifted Endorsement to your certificate depends on where you took the endorsement courses.

    Many educators who want to add a Gifted Endorsement (300 hours) take their Gifted Endorsement courses through a school district or in-service provider like Beacon, FDLRS, NEFEC, PAEC, Schultz Institute, etc. If you took all of your Gifted Endorsement courses through in-service trainings, then use the following directions.

    • Gifted Endorsement Instructions Using In-service Trainings

    If you took all of your Gifted Endorsement courses through a college or university, then use the following directions.

    • Gifted Endorsement Instructions Using ONLY College Courses

    If you have a combination of college courses and in-service trainings, or you're not sure which directions to follow, then email the certification office at certification@leonschools.net.

    • Literacy Coach Endorsement Instructions

  • The process to add a Reading Endorsement to your certificate depends on where you took the endorsement courses.

    Many educators who are required to have a Reading Endorsement (300 hours) take their Reading Endorsement courses through a school district or in-service provider like Beacon, FDLRS, FCRR, NEFEC, PAEC, Schultz Institute, UF Lastinger Center, etc.  If you took your Reading Endorsement courses through in-service trainings, then use the following directions.

    • Reading Endorsement Instructions Using ONLY In-service Trainings

    If you graduated from a state-approved education program and are required to have a Reading Endorsement (15 semester hours), then you took your Reading Endorsement courses in college. If you took your Reading Endorsement courses through a college or university, then use the following directions.

    • Reading Endorsement Instructions Using ONLY College Courses

    If you have a combination of college courses and in-service trainings, or you are not sure which directions to follow, then email the certification office at certification@leonschools.net.

  • School Principal Instructions (update coming soon!)

Athletic Coaching Certification

  • Athletic Coaching Application Instructions (update coming soon!)

Certification Examinations Website