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Mission Statement: The mission of the Certification Team is to support the District’s goal of a high performing work force by ensuring that appropriately certified educators are in all classrooms.
This site provides current information about Florida rules regarding teacher certification. It is also a resource that allows access to information with minimal effort.
To contact a Pinellas County Schools certification team member use the following link: Certification Team Member
These links are provided as a resource and may not answer all of your questions.
Temporary Certification Requirements
Professional Certification Requirements
Subject Area Requirements
Renewal Requirements and In-service History
Testing Information
National Board Certification
No Child Left Behind (NCLB). In addition to Florida certification requirements, applicants must also meet federal NCLB requirements. Questions regarding NCLB compliance may be directed to Loretta Miller
Temporary Certification Requirements
The three-year nonrenewable Temporary Certificate may be issued to an applicant who does not qualify for the five-year Professional Certificate but meets these requirements:
Holds a valid Official Statement of Status of Eligibility which reflects no deficiencies in subject area specialization.
Earns a 2.5 GPA in the subject area requested for the initial area of certification.
Obtains full time employment in a position for which a Florida Educator’s Certificate is required in a Florida public, state supported or non-public school which has a Department of Education approved system for documenting the demonstration of required professional education competence.
Satisfies the fingerprint requirement.
For information on how to receive an official Statement of Status of Eligibility from the Department of Education follow this link:
www.fldoe.org/edcert
Professional Certification Requirements
The five-year renewable Professional Educator’s Certificate is the standard certificate issued by the State of Florida and the one accepted by other states for reciprocity purposes.
Requirements for the Professional Certificate:
- Complete the application process
- Obtain employment and complete the fingerprint requirement
- Demonstrate mastery of general knowledge
- Demonstrate mastery of subject area knowledge
- Demonstrate mastery of professional preparation and education competence
Direct Routes to the Professional Certificate
Route 1: Experienced Teacher from Another State
To qualify for a Professional Certificate through this route, the applicant must:
- Hold a valid standard certificate from another state.
- Have earned two years of continuous full-time teaching experience in another state within the five- year period preceding the date of the application for the Florida certificate.
- Apply for Florida certification in the subject(s) shown on the out of state certificate.
Route 2: Nationally Certified Teacher
To qualify for a Professional Certificate through this route, the applicant must:
- Hold a valid standard certificate from another state.
- Hold a valid certificate issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).
- Apply for Florida certification in the subject(s) shown both on the out-of-state certificate and the NBPTS certificate use the link below.
www.fldoe.org/edcert
Renewal Requirements and In-service History
General Information
Employees of Pinellas County Schools will be sent an application to renew the Professional certificate in the last year of their validity period. Generally this occurs in October, prior to the expiration date of June 30.
Renewal requirements must be completed during the last validity period of the certificate and prior to the expiration date. It is the responsibility of the teacher to obtain documentation of the completed requirements. Official transcripts of any coursework used for renewal must be provided. In-service credit will be verified by the PALD (Pinellas Academy for Leadership Development) after the renewal application has been submitted.
Renewal Requirements- Six (6) semester hours of college credit or equivalent must be earned during each renewal period.
- Sixty (60) in-service points are equivalent to three (3) semester hours of college credit. (120 points renews the certificate).
- A passing score on the Florida subject area test specific to the coverage to be renewed is equivalent to three (3) semester hours of college credit for renewal purposes.
- A valid certificate issued by the NBPTS (National Board) will renew the Florida certificate only in the subject shown on the national certificate for as long as the national certificate remains valid.
- Teaching a college course at an acceptable institution may be used the same as credit earned for that course.
For a printable DOE brochure on renewal requirements follow this link:
DOE Brochure
In-Service Record
Contact the ProEd facilitator at your school site or Gloria Smith, Professional Development, for information concerning your component points.
Certification Team Members:
e-mail: Loretta Miller
e-mail: Eunice Bajkowsky
e-mail: Carol Matthews
e-mail: Loretta Miller, NCLB Compliance
Carrie Rivera, Alternative Certification
The Florida Department of Education can be reached at:
1-800-445-6739 (from in the state of Florida)
1-850-488-2317 (from outside the state of Florida)
The Bureau of Teacher Certification's mailing address is:
Bureau of Teacher Certification
Florida Department of Education
325 West Gaines St
Room 203, Florida Education Center
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Our mailing address is:
Pinellas County Schools Administration Building
Human Resources
301 - 4th Street SW
PO Box 2942
Largo, Florida 33779-2942
04/18/08
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