Certification processes can be complicated and confusing. The certification specialist is here to help you. Please email the certification specialist, Christopher Harvey, at harveyc@leonschools.net if you do not find the answers that you need below or have any additional questions.
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.
If you passed the Reading K-12 subject area exam on or before June 30, 2024, and intended to use it to add the Reading Endorsement to your certificate but you have not added it, please follow these instructions as soon as possible.
The option to add the Reading Endorsement to your certificate by passing the Reading K-12 subject area exam expired on 6/30/24. If you did not pass the exam by 6/30/24, then the only way to add the Reading Endorsement to your certificate is to complete the five Reading Endorsement courses.
If you receive an email from FDOE that it is time to renew your certificate, please follow the specific instructions below for teachers in our District.
Path 2 - You can also exempt the GK Test if you:
Submit the appropriate form below if you meet the requirements of Path 2.
Temporary certificate expiring 6/30/25 or later - Standard GK Waiver Program Entry Form
Path 2 - You can also exempt the Professional Education Test if you:
For this pathway, you provide a copy of your most recent summative evaluation showing a highly effective rating to your EPI. The EPI reports this to FDOE when it reports your completion of the EPI.
Path 3 - You can also exempt the Professional Education Test if you:
Per the Florida Department of Education, Social Workers and Speech Language Pathologists are NOT permitted to use this waiver to exempt the Professional Education Test and must pass the Professional Education Test if it is a requirement on their statement of eligibility.
Email the certification specialist at harveyc@leonschools.net to apply for a test waiver if you meet all of the requirements of Path 3.
Path 2 - You are also exempt from the subject area exam if you have a master's or higher degree in the subject that is on your certificate. Refer to the following document to see if your degree is acceptable.
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.
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 harveyc@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.
Each of the trainings in LEADS has a seven-digit component number. Reading courses have component numbers with "013" as the second, third, and fourth digits.
This law allows educators to use banked reading points that are less than 10 years old at the time of renewal.
If you have taken the five Reading Endorsement courses with the District or another inservice provider within the 10 years preceeding your renewal, then you likely have enough current and/or banked reading points to meet this requirement. Additionally, the Elementary Literacy Micro-Credential and the Secondary Literacy Micro-Credential each provide enough reading points to meet the 40-hour reading inservice requirement.
There are some reading trainings that do not meet the 40-hour reading inservice requirement. Most notably, the Emergent Literacy Micro-Credential and the Reading K-12 subject area exam cannot be used to meet the 40-hour reading inservice requirement.
Some trainings, like the Reading Endorsement Competency 4 course, address both reading and SWD. These trainings can be used to meet both the 40-hour reading requirement and the 20-hour SWD requirement.
Beginning in the 24-25 school year, educators with the following certification areas will need at least 20 of their 120 inservice points to come from training in educational leadership that was earned after 7/1/23.
Educational leadership courses have component numbers that begins with a 7.
Please contact the certification specialist, Christopher Harvey, at harveyc@leonschools.net if you have any questions.
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 harveyc@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.