Recertification 411
In recent weeks, I’ve answered a number of questions about recertification, so I thought it might be advantageous to give a bit of a refresher with some resources. Bottom line: Know what’s required, plan ahead, document everything, and submit early. 
Number of points necessary: For every five year period in which your collegiate professional or post-graduate professional license is valid, you must accrue 180 continuing education units (CEUs). Guidelines and rules about allowable point-earning opportunities are published in the state handbook. Note that regulations are different for teachers with Bachelors and Masters degrees. If you have a provisional license from the state, you have just one three-year period to complete all outstanding requirements to achieve full collegiate professional or post-graduate professional licenses. Do not worry about recertification points. That only begins once you’ve achieved full license. Just focus on completing courses/taking tests, etc. necessary to get to that point.
Timeline: Plan ahead for earning these points, as scrambling to earn 180 points (which equates to 180 hours) is very challenging to do in one year. For your sanity’s sake, do not wait until the year your license expires to strategically plan your method of earning points. If you are unsure when your license expires, you may search the state database.
Keeping track of points/importance of documentation: It is your responsibility, as a professional in the field, to keep your license current and maintain all documentation related to your recertification. Some larger divisions employ staff to track points for teachers, but we do not have the resources to do this. Even so, humans make mistakes, so I would advise always keeping a file yourself as a system of checks and balances. John Hendron tracks attendance at in-house technology classes, and I track attendance at other in-house professional development opportunities, however we do so as a courtesy and a service. This does not replace your need to maintain your own file. We are simply trying to assist in this small way and provide you documentation for your benefit. The state handbook describes what documentation is necessary for each point-earning option.
Procedures for submitting paperwork: In the year your license expires, bring your documentation of 180 CEUs to your principal. They will go over the documentation and complete this form available on our wiki. Then you write a check made out to the Treasurer of Virginia in the amount of your relicensing costs and submit both the signed forms and the check to Demetra Harris at Central Office. She will serve as your liaison with the state and mail it off for you. We highly recommend that you complete paperwork somewhere in the window between January and March – prior to spring break – as the Department of Education gets very busy as the deadline of June 30th approaches. You want to be sure that your renewal paperwork is processed well-in-advance of the following contract year.
I hope this is helpful to you. Demetra and I are available to answer any additional questions you may have.
In recent weeks, I’ve answered a number of questions about recertification, so I thought it might be advantageous to give a bit of a refresher with some resources. Bottom line: Know what’s required, plan ahead, document everything, and submit early.
- Number of points necessary: For every five year period in which your collegiate professional or post-graduate professional license is valid, you must accrue 180 continuing education units (CEUs). Guidelines and rules about allowable point-earning opportunities are published in the state handbook. Note that regulations are different for teachers with Bachelors and Masters degrees. If you have a provisional license from the state, you have just one three-year period to complete all outstanding requirements to achieve full collegiate professional or post-graduate professional licenses. Do not worry about recertification points. That only begins once you’ve achieved full license. Just focus on completing courses/taking tests, etc. necessary to get to that point.
- Timeline: Plan ahead for earning these points, as scrambling to earn 180 points (which equates to 180 hours) is very challenging to do in one year. For your sanity’s sake, do not wait until the year your license expires to strategically plan your method of earning points. If you are unsure when your license expires, you may search the state database.
- Keeping track of points/importance of documentation: It is your responsibility, as a professional in the field, to keep your license current and maintain all documentation related to your recertification. Some larger divisions employ staff to track points for teachers, but we do not have the resources to do this. Even so, humans make mistakes, so I would advise always keeping a file yourself as a system of checks and balances. John Hendron tracks attendance at in-house technology classes, and I track attendance at other in-house professional development opportunities, however we do so as a courtesy and a service. This does not replace your need to maintain your own file. We are simply trying to assist in this small way and provide you documentation for your benefit. The state handbook describes what documentation is necessary for each point-earning option.
- Procedures for submitting paperwork: In the year your license expires, bring your documentation of 180 CEUs to your principal. They will go over the documentation and complete this form available on our wiki. Then you write a check made out to the Treasurer of Virginia in the amount of your relicensing costs and submit both the signed forms and the check to Demetra Harris at Central Office. She will serve as your liaison with the state and mail it off for you. We highly recommend that you complete paperwork somewhere in the window between January and March – prior to spring break – as the Department of Education gets very busy as the deadline of June 30th approaches. You want to be sure that your renewal paperwork is processed well-in-advance of the following contract year.
I hope this is helpful to you. Demetra and I are available to answer any additional questions you may have.
Add comment Tagged: Demetra Harris, handbook, Laura Kassner, license, procedures, recertification, VDOE January 11, 2012