Under ESSA, Title I, Part A, the state education agencies (SEAs) and local education agencies (LEAs) must ensure teachers meet applicable state certification requirements. In Georgia, under the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.), state certification requirements are established by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC). However, Georgia law also allows LEAs to waive certification requirements in Title 20 if the LEA has an approved Charter or Strategic Waiver Application. LEAs that waive state certification must establish professional qualifications (PQ) for their teachers and report the requirements in their annual ESSA application - the Consolidated LEA Improvement Plan (CLIP). Professional qualification requirements apply to all teachers in all local education agencies. If certification is waived, teachers may meet in-field requirements using equivalent qualifications (degree, coursework, or content area assessment). ESSA also requires SEAs and LEAs to report annually the qualifications of teachers including those teachers who are out-of-field.
PQ and In-Field Documents
Implementation Guide Monthly Calendar
Timely Announcements
Right to Know and 20 Day Notifications Spotlight
It is that time of year again for Right to Know
and 20 Day Notifications to be completed for the beginning of school. Sometimes
these notifications are confusing. The chart below outlines the differences. For
notification requirements, sample notifications and best practices, see the
Overview Documents section.
Overview Documents
In-Field Portal
The Georgia Department of Education partners with the Georgia Professional Standards Commission to operate and maintain the in-field portal which identifies teachers who are in-field or out of field.
