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Certification Information

The Human Resources Department processes all certification documents for new hires and current faculty as well as renewals and conversions of certifications.

• GaPSC Application
• ALL Official Transcripts
• GACE Test Scores
• Out-of-State Professional Certificates

1. Certified employees of the Forsyth County School District are required to hold a valid Georgia teaching certificate issued by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC). The Forsyth County School System does not employ teachers who are not fully certified and in-field prior to employment.
2. .
3. Complete all 3 pages of the GaPSC application in black ink with specific attention given to educational background.
4. The GaPSC will not process your application without an official transcript.
5. Once you are an employee of the Forsyth County Schools (including new hires), the $20 fee will be exempted for you on initial certification transactions. However, any future conditional certificate fees must be paid by the ºìÐÓÖ±²¥appS employee. 
6. The GACE (Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators) replaced the Praxis II exams on September 1, 2006.  Information about GACE asessments can be found at .
7. Your certificate or letter of requirement(s) will be sent electronically from the GaPSC and a copy forwarded to the Forsyth County Schools for your personnel file. All educators (teachers, paraprofessionals and support) must have a MyPSC account.  Login to to create your account.

It is critical you complete your certification requirements at the earliest opportunity.

Paraprofessional Certification Information

All Georgia Paraprofessionals must hold a valid state license issued by the Professional Standards Commission.

The applicant must meet one of the following qualifications:

• Hold an associate’s degree or higher in any subject from a ;

         OR

• Completed 2 years (60 semester hours) of college coursework above the remedial level at a with a grade of “C” or better

         OR

• Hold a minimum of a high school diploma or GED equivalent and have passed the GACE .

Upgrade for Current Forsyth County School District Employees

It is always exciting to earn a new degree! Do not enroll in a degree program for an upgrade until you read the GaPSC enrollment letter. Please remember, the upgrade rule requirements are very specific. A program must either be in-field to your current certification, or state-approved to lead to the addition of a new field to your certificate; and the institution itself must also hold specific national accreditation at the time of your enrollment.

Prior to enrolling, complete the steps in the link and save it to your MyPSC account.      

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When the degree is completed, complete these simple online steps to avoid the processing fee: 

Frequently Asked Certification Questions

1. Is a GaPSC certificate required in Georgia?
   Yes. Any professional serving in the public schools must hold a current valid certificate appropriate to the field of employment. All certificate fields are classified as either Teacher, Service, or Leadership.
2. How do I qualify for a professional certificate in Georgia?
   Professional certification is based upon completion of a college’s state-approved certification program in a field for which Georgia certifies or upon professional certification from another state, U. S. territory, District of Columbia, Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DODDS) or the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). In Forsyth County, certain Special Georgia Requirements (Identification of Exceptional Children, Teaching of Reading & Writing, Recency of Study, appropriate assessment in the content area of certification) may be necessary within the first year of employment for individuals who completed out-of-state certification programs or out-of-state certification.
3. What tests do I need to obtain a Georgia certificate?
   Applicants must take and pass GACE tests appropriate to the certification field(s). You may contact  for information and registration procedures for GACE.
4. Do I have to take Georgia’s required test or can I substitute a test taken for an out-of-state certificate? Does Georgia accept the NTE?
   If you are currently or have been certified in another state and passed a content-knowledge assessment(s) required for certification in the state of certification, this test may be accepted in lieu of the GACE. For consideration, you must submit a copy (front and back) of any certificates/licenses you hold or held, and a copy of score reports for any assessment(s) you have passed. If score reports are unavailable, attach documentation from the state’s certifying authority to verify that you have passed the required content assessment(s) for professional certification in that state.  The appropriate Specialty Test(s) of the NTE can be accepted only if it was taken to qualify for out-of-state certification. The NTE Core Battery is not acceptable toward the content knowledge assessment.
5. After I satisfy all requirements for a professional Georgia certificate, for how long will it be valid, and how do I keep it current?
   A Standard Professional certificate is valid for five (5) years.
6. How long will it take for my certificate application to be processed?
   Your completed application package will be processed within three-four (2-3) weeks from the time it is received by the PSC. You will receive an educator certificate, a letter of eligibility, or an evaluation for certification requirements to be met.
7. I do not have a teaching certificate, but I do have a bachelor’s degree. What do I need to do in order to get certified to teach in Georgia?
   If you want to teach in the Forsyth County Schools, you must affiliate with a local college or university and enroll in their Post Baccalaureate program. You can complete just the classes you need to obtain your certification, or you apply to the college’s graduate school and work toward a master’s degree along with the certification requirements. There are several schools in the area that offer the Post Baccalaureate program.
8. In completing requirements for Clear Renewable professional certification, can I use teaching experience in lieu of student teaching?
   Any determination of what can or cannot be accepted toward requirements of the initial professional certificate must be made by the college where the applicant is completing the college’s state-approved teacher education program. The PSC does not provide a course-by-course evaluation outlining these requirements.
9. How can I add a field to my clear renewable certificate?
   Professionals who already possess a clear renewable teaching certificate in one field may add other fields by taking and passing the appropriate GACE tests. The only exception to this is Early Childhood Education.  It cannot be added via GACE scores. After the test results are received, the PSC will add the additional field automatically if they were the recipient of the passing test scores.  If they did not receive the test scores, then application as to be made to the PSC to get the fields added.